Sebastian Shaw Sebastian Shaw ( May 29 , 1905 – December 23 , 1994 ) was an , , and , as well as a , , and . Over the course of his 65 - year career , Shaw appeared in more than 40 film and television productions , but was mostly known for his dozens of stage performances . A self - described " rotten actor " as a youth , Sebastian claimed to mature as a performer after returning from service in the during . Shaw was particularly known for his performances in productions , which were considered daring and ahead of his time . He also wrote a novel , " The Christening " , in 1975 . One of Shaw ' s more famous roles is his brief but important performance in " " , in which he portrayed a redeemed Anakin Skywalker during the moment aboard Death Star II when Luke Skywalker unmasks his dying father . Due to the extreme secrecy demanded by " Star Wars " creator George Lucas , Shaw knew no details of his part until he was guaranteed to play the role , and was forbidden from discussing it with anyone , even his family and friends , until after the theatrical release . Sebastian Shaw died of natural causes at age 89 in 1994 . Ten years later , his image as a Force ghost during the final scene of " Return of the Jedi " was replaced with that of prequel actor Hayden Christensen for the movie ' s 2004 re - release . Biography . Early life . Sebastian Lewis Shaw was born at , in on May 29 , 1905 . His father , Dr . Geoffrey Shaw , was the at , a , where Sebastian Shaw began his education . His uncle , , was a of , and his family ' s love of music heavily influenced Sebastian Shaw ' s future career path . Shaw made his acting debut at age eight on the stage as one of the juvenile band in " The Cockyolly Bird " at the in the on of 1914 . During his time at Gresham ' s , he also played in " " , his first of many performances from the works of ; classmate , who would go on to become a highly regarded , played Katherina in the play opposite Shaw . After Gresham ' s , Shaw planned to become a and spent two years at the before switching his interests to acting ; regarding the change , his father said to Shaw , " I wondered when you would come to your senses . " Shaw earned a scholarship to the in , London . Actor enrolled in the Academy the same time as Shaw ; Shaw later said his first impression of Laughton was " a poor fat boy " and said his fellow students initially felt sympathetic toward him , until they were quickly impressed with his talent . Early stage career . Shaw appeared in regional theatres in , , and . In 1925 , he performed in London as the Archangel in " The Sign of the Sun " , and played first Lewis Dodd and then the Major in separate productions of " " . Shaw received instruction in verse speaking under famed theatre director in the at , where he played some of his early Shakespeare roles , including in " " , Ferdinand in " " and Prince Hal in " " in 1926 . Shaw was criticized for the audacity he displayed in the latter role . When Prince Hal takes on his kingship and rejects the self - indulgent character Falstaff , convention of the day called for Prince Hal to change from a jovial drinking partner to an arrogant snob , but Shaw saw the view as simple - minded and contradictory toward Shakespeare ' s script . Instead , Shaw displayed inward regrets toward leaving Falstaff and accepting the new responsibilities . The interpretation was criticized at the time but , years later , critics would say it became the accepted approach to the character . Shaw made his debut in 1929 , when he created the role of Wyndham Brandon , one half of a duo of in stage " " ; although he played the role in , he was passed over when the show moved to London . In 1929 , Shaw married Margaret Delamere and lived with her in , an apartment complex off of in London . Shaw would return to the works of William Shakespeare in 1931 , playing Claudio in " " at London ' s . In 1932 he once again played Romeo at the Embassy Theatre . Other works around this period included productions of " Sunshine Sisters " in 1933 ; " Double Door " alongside actress in 1934 ; " A Kiss for Cinderella " in 1937 ; and " Goodness , How Sad ! " in 1938 . Early film career . The first Sebastian Shaw appeared in was " Caste " in 1930 . The actor soon began to make a name for himself in motion pictures with such performances as " " in 1935 , " Men Are Not Gods " in 1936 , and " Farewell Again " in 1937 . Shaw was making about 300 a week during this stage of his career . He brought what " " described as a " smooth villainy " to the title role of Frank Sutton in " The Squeaker " in 1937 , and played a hero alongside and in " " . Shaw described himself as a movie buff and called - winning actor his " great god of all screen actors " ; he was so impressed by Tracy ' s technique that he claimed to become depressed while watching his movies because Tracy made acting look simple , while Shaw claimed to find it so difficult to master himself . World War II . When broke out , Shaw took a brief break from his acting career and immediately joined the ( RAF ) , where he served as an . He saw little action in the service and was told the only chance he would have to fly would be as a . Some of his fellow airmen hounded Shaw for autographs while others would mock his posh accent , to which Shaw would retaliate with an unflattering imitation of their own accents . Immediately upon returning to London after the war , Shaw lost his Albany flat and his acting contract , and essentially had to restart his acting career . Although Shaw made 20 films before WWII and had already began to develop a reputation as a strong leading man before the war began , in later years Shaw would describe himself as " a rotten actor " in the 1930s who landed roles based mainly on his good looks . He used the phrase " a piece of cinema " to describe himself as an actor during that period , and felt it was after his return home from military service that he learned to act properly and began to mature as a performer . Shaw ' s Royal Air Force experience would be put to good use when he played a pilot in " Journey Together " , a 1946 RAF training film in which actor would coach actor in the rudiments of flying . Post WWII career . In 1945 , Shaw returned to the Embassy Theatre to " " . Significant theatre roles in that decade would include in " The Thracian Horses " at the theatre in 1946 ; Hern Lawrance in " I Said to Myself " at the " Old Mercury Theatre " in 1947 ; Sir James Kirkham in " " at in 1950 and Filmer Jesson , in " His House in Order " at in 1951 . In 1956 , he would play the title role in the first English production of " " . That same year , he would write the lyrics to his father ' s ballad - opera , " All at Sea " , which played at the . In 1957 , he played in " Brother Lucifer " in , England , and a sinister agent in Jonathan Griffin ' s " The Hidden King " in , . As Shaw grew older , his reputation as a dramatic actor grew stronger , and he became known for a sharp intelligence and dignified style . Although his good looks began to diminish , reviewers felt his florid and weatherbeaten face was well utilized by Shaw in evoking grandeur and self - assuredness in such roles as generals , priests and his familiar Shakespearean parts . In 1956 , his wife Margaret Delamere passed away ; she was survived by her and Shaw ' s daughter , Drusilla . Shaw began a romantic relationship in the mid - 1950s with , a and talent agent who previously represented Shaw . The two were romantically involved , to the point that she even took his last name , for about four decades until Shaw ' s death . During the 1980s , however , Shaw also engaged in a brief relationship with Harriet Ravenscroft , the mother of , who Shaw met while performing at the at . Shaw split his time between Ingpen and Ravenscroft on a four - day rotation basis to which both women consented . Although Peel got along with Shaw and said he made his mother happy , Peel admitted he did not feel comfortable with the arrangement and felt it disrupted his mother ' s friendships and prospects for a more stable relationship . Writing career . Shaw wrote " Take a Life " , his first play , in 1961 . He directed a production of the show at London ' s , where he also played the lead role of the . That same year he played two lead roles in plays at the : " " and " " . Around this time , Shaw also wrote an outline for a about four girls sharing a flat , inspired by his real - life daughter , who was in her early twenties and living in a flat with other girls her age . The series was submitted to the company , which expressed interest in the show and said it was one of two under consideration for television . The company ultimately chose the other show , the long - running British " " . Shaw agreed to take certain roles only under the condition that he have complete freedom to rewrite his dialogue . When Shaw appeared in " It Happened Here " , a 1966 World War II film , he wrote much of his own dialogue , which the filmmakers would later admit " gave his dialogue an individual slant which enhanced his performance . " Shaw also helped in other aspects of the filmmaking , including casting ; he introduced the filmmakers to Fiona Leland , who would be cast as Shaw ' s wife in " " . Shaw wrote other plays , including " The Ship ' s Bell " , " The Cliff Walk " , " The Glass Maze " , and " Cul de Sac " . He also wrote " Poems " , a collection of his personal poetry , which saw a limited print of 300 editions by publisher . It included poems called " Nightmare " , " Sing Cuckoo " , " Necrophilia " , " Apple Harvest " , " Noctambulation " , " Thought From Ireland " , " Moor Mouse " , " White Blues " , " The Naked Hill " , " The Cover of Darkness " , " Two Pictures at Edinburgh " , " Waking at Dawn " , " The Comedian ' s Tale " , and " The Building Site " . Royal Shakespeare Company . In 1965 , British theatre director was named artistic director of the Royal Court Theatre , where he hoped to reestablish a repertoire . He approached Shaw , who made his acting début at the Royal Court Theatre as a youth , and Shaw agreed to return . There he would deliver several performances there over the next year , including Conrad von Hotzendorf in " " , various roles in " Shelley " , Francis Harker in " " , and Atterclife in " " . In 1966 , Shaw joined the , where he spent the next decade of his career and eventually became an associate artist . He mostly appeared in Shakespeare plays , including the title role in " " , in " " , the King in " " , in " " , and Leonato in " " . " " described his performance in the title role of " " as " awe - inspiring " , and " " described his performance as in " " as " unrivalled in his complacency and sense of circumstance . " The " Telegraph " described his performance of Gloucester in " " as " doleful " and his performance of in " " as " decent . " Many of the company ' s Shakespearean productions at the time were considered interpretive and modern , which drew criticism from some traditionalists , but Shaw defended the experimental nature of the shows and shunned the notion of that plays should be restricted to preconceived interpretations . He demonstrated what " The Daily Telegraph " called a " crusty charm " as Sir Oblong Fitz Oblong in children ' s play " The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew " , during his time with the company . Shaw was also noted as possessing a gift for during this period of his acting career , such as during his roles in plays " Enemies " and " " . Shaw demonstrated a particular knack for comedy in productions of plays " " and " " . The Christening . Shaw wrote " The Christening " , his only , in 1975 . He originally planned to call the novel " The Godfather " , but later said he was glad he did not due to the popularity of book of . " The Christening " focuses around Miles Madgwick , who believes himself to be but is too timid to find out through , so he instead describes his most intimate thoughts into his . He then meets , and becomes attracted to , a woman named Alice and her son , Rodney ; he comes to identify with Rodney ' s childhood innocence , and in Alice sees a symbol both of his and a lover . One night , Rodney stays overnight at Madgwick ' s house and , when he takes the boy home in a , the driver observes their strange behavior and accuses Madgwick of being a . When Alice asks Madgwick to become the to her new child , the driver threatens to expose Madgwick . A description in the book cover flap reads , " In this tender , sensitive and blackly comic novel , Sebastian Shaw , the distinguished Shakespearean actor , explores areas of sexual and emotional encounter that are rarely seen and , unfortunately , too rarely understood . " Shaw was said to have been working on another novel shortly after " The Christening " was completed , but no other novels by Shaw have been published . Acting career in 1970s . In 1978 , Sebastian Shaw earned acclaim for his performance as a judge in the stage debut of " " at the Mermaid Theatre , the same theatre he debuted his first play 17 years earlier . The production won for Best Play and Best Actor ( ) . Although 73 years old , Shaw did not let his age slow down his career . During the run of this production a mugger tried to steal his money , but Shaw chased him down , tackled him and recovered his property ; later that same year , Shaw was painted in the nude by his nephew , Brian Ocean . Nevertheless , during his later years , Shaw suffered a physical disability that made him tremble , which had a negative impact on his roles , particularly when handling cups or trays of drinks . One of Shaw ' s final television appearances was in " " , a 1979 based on the novel by . Around this time , he also voiced the part of Beltham in a production of " The Adventurers of Harry Richmond " , which " The Daily Telegraph " said was " remembered with affection . " Shaw lent his voice to several radio performances , both Shakespearean and modern , including protagonist John Tanner in the five - hour " " by . Return of the Jedi . Casting . In 1982 , Sebastian Shaw was chosen for the brief , but crucial role as Anakin Skywalker in " " , the third and final movie in the original Star Wars trilogy . Although David Prowse played the costumed scenes and James Earl Jones portrayed the voice of Darth Vader , just as they had in the first two films , Shaw was to play a single scene with Mark Hamill , during the moment aboard " Death Star II " when Luke Skywalker unmasks his dying father . Since the scene was arguably the emotional climax of the film , the casting crew wanted an experienced actor for the role . At the time he was approached for the film , Shaw was playing such Shakespearean roles as in " " and in " Hamlet " at London ' s . Shaw was familiar with the previous two " Star Wars " films and enjoyed them particularly for the visual effects , which he described in an interview with " " as " brilliant techniques which , in many ways , were revolutionary , something quite new . " Secrecy . Shaw participated in an for the " Return of the Jedi " part but , due to the secrecy regarding the production , was not allowed to see his portion of the actual script until he had guaranteed to take the role and promised not to reveal any film secrets to anyone . His contract included a stipulation that he could not even tell family or friends the part he would be playing ; Shaw told " Starlog " when asked by his loved ones about the role , he would answer , " I ' m sorry , I ' m not at liberty to tell you . " Shaw received many inquiries about his part in the movie once word of his casting was leaked , but he did not discuss his participation in the film until George Lucas gave him permission after the film ' s 1983 theatrical release . When Shaw arrived at the set for filming , he ran into his friend Ian McDiarmid , the actor playing Emperor Palpatine , but Shaw did not tell him anything about the part . When McDiarmid asked him what he was doing there , Shaw simply responded , " I don ' t know , dear boy , I think it ' s something to do with science - fiction . " McDiarmid later reflected upon the comment , " That was Sebastian . The " Star Wars " saga had passed him blissfully by . " Filming . Shaw ' s scene in " Return of the Jedi " was filmed in only one day at in , England . His presence during the filming was kept secret from all but the absolute minimum cast and crew . Director Richard Marquand directed the scene , but George Lucas was present for the entire length of filming . Shaw found the mask costume to be physically challenging during his scene ; he had difficulty breathing through the two small holes in the quarter - inch thick Darth Vader mask that covered his entire face and head . His head was shaven , white make - up was applied to his face , black make - up was applied around his eyes and fake burn scars were applied to his head and cheeks . Regarding the screenplay by Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan , Shaw told " Starlog " his unmasking scene " was so beautifully written that we never altered the dialogue at all . " The scene was filmed in only a few takes , although some of Mark Hamill ' s took multiple takes because Shaw said " he was so terribly anxious to get it right . " Shaw said the young actor was enjoyable to work with and appreciative of Shaw ' s experience . The unmasking scene lasts two minutes and seven seconds and includes twenty - four words of dialogue spoken by Shaw . George Lucas personally directed Shaw for his appearance in the final scene of the movie , in which he is a Force ghost of Anakin Skywalker dressed in brown and white robes , his prior burns and injuries completely healed . The footage was shot against a and the characters of Obi - Wan Kenobi and Yoda , with whom Anakin exchanges glances and smiles , were added later . Shaw did not know the purpose of the footage and believed it to be , not for the film . When directing the scene , Lucas simply advised the actor , " Look happy , smile . " Response . Shaw received more fan mail and autograph requests from " Return of the Jedi " than he had for any role in his career ; he said most of the letters he received were from boys between the ages of twelve and fourteen , but he also heard from older people who were unexpectedly touched by the film . Shaw later reflected that he very much enjoyed his experience filming for " Return of the Jedi " and expressed particular surprise that an action figure was made of him from the film . Acting career in 1980s . Sebastian Shaw remained active in his later years ; along with fellow Royal Shakespeare Company actors , , Martin Best , and Ann Firbank , Shaw engaged in discussions and workshops with acting teachers and students in the early 1980s . Although appearances in films became far less common in Shaw ' s later career , he received much acclaim for his performance as a spy in Clare Peploe ' s " High Season " at the in 1987 ; " " said Shaw played the role with " endearing , sweet gravity . " One of his last performances was in the season of 1988 and 1989 , when he played the in a stage production of " " at the Barbican Centre and the Stratford Festival Company . " The Times " said audiences were " delighted to recognise his honeyed threats from behind the great carapace that disguised the Wizard of Oz . " Shaw became a honorary life - member at , which included such past members as writers Charles Dickens , J . M . Barrie , ; artists and ; composer ; and creator . Death . Sebastian Shaw died of natural causes on December 23 , 1994 at age 89 in , , England . A funeral service was held February 15 , 1995 at , commonly known as The Actors ' Church due to its long association with the theatre community , in , London . Actors Ian Richardson and read works by William Shakespeare ; stage actress Estelle Kohler read " The Ways of Love " by poet ; actress read " Life " by poet ; and actor read from the works of . One of Shaw ' s own poems , " Gemini " , was also read . Stephen Varcoe sang " Wie bist du meine Konigin " by , accompanied by on the , and guitarist Martin Best performed and sang his composition of " Ariel ' s Songs " from " " . Shaw was survived by his partner , daughter Drusilla MacLeod , sisters Susan Bonner - Morgan and Penelope Harness , and sister - in - law Olga Young . " Return of the Jedi " re - release changes . In the 2004 edition of " Return of the Jedi " , several changes and modifications were made to the scenes involving Sebastian Shaw . The unmasking scene with Mark Hamill remained mostly intact , but Shaw ' s eyebrows were digitally removed from his face due to the fact that they would be burned off Anakin Skywalker in the 2005 prequel , " " . Shaw ' s eyes were also digitally colored to look more like those of Hayden Christensen , who played Anakin in the prequel films . A far more drastic change , however , was the replacement of Shaw ' s image with that of Christensen during his appearance as a Force ghost in the last scene of " Return of the Jedi " . This attempt to tie the prequel and original trilogies together proved to be one of the least popular changes in the " Star Wars " re - releases . Others , however , defended the move ; although author and pop culture expert Will Brooker said George Lucas " totally Stalinized " Shaw by removing him from the scene , Brooker also disputed a claim that Luke Skywalker would not have recognized the young Anakin , explaining his connection to the Force allowed him to do so . Film reviewer described the change as " actually a little poetic " because it meant Anakin became one with the Force before he turned into Darth Vader .