Michael Henbury obit

Farewell to Michael Henbury, the Ewok Who Helped Bring Return of the Jedi to Life

 

He was not on the list.

Some Star Wars roles are loud.

Some are legendary.

And some are the kind you only fully appreciate when you grow up — when you realize how much of the original trilogy’s magic was built by real people in costumes, on real sets, doing real physical work to make the galaxy feel alive.

Today, Star Wars fans are saying goodbye to one of those people.

Michael Henbury — best known to Star Wars fans as Ewok Taboo in Return of the Jedi — has passed away at the age of 67.

Why this matters right now

It’s easy to focus on the “big names” when we talk about Star Wars history.

But Star Wars has always been bigger than its headliners.

The original trilogy wasn’t built only by stars, directors, or composers — it was built by the performers inside the masks and suits, the people who gave life to creatures and characters that became part of pop culture forever.

Michael Henbury was one of them.

And for many fans, the Ewoks are still one of the most memorable ingredients in the saga’s most emotional ending.

Michael Henbury’s Star Wars legacy: Ewok Taboo

Henbury appeared in Return of the Jedi as Ewok Taboo, one of the Endor warriors fighting alongside the Rebels during the Battle of Endor.

For anyone who grew up with the film, the Ewok sequences aren’t just “cute alien side characters.”

They’re the beating heart of Endor.

They’re the reminder that the Empire can be defeated — not only by Jedi and X-wings, but by communities, courage, and cleverness.

And every Ewok performer helped make those scenes work.

More than Star Wars: Labyrinth, Willow, and Harry Potter

What makes Henbury’s career particularly special is how often he popped up in fantasy classics — the kinds of films that shaped childhoods in the same way Star Wars did.

Fantha Tracks notes that his work includes Labyrinth, Willow, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.

That’s a remarkable stretch of genre history right there:

80s fantasy cult icons

classic Lucasfilm storytelling

one of the biggest modern fantasy franchises ever made

Not everyone gets to leave fingerprints on multiple generations of fandom like that.

A performer remembered warmly by the community

The Fantha Tracks tribute makes one thing clear: Henbury wasn’t just respected for his on-screen work — he was warmly regarded across the fandom, with friends and colleagues sharing tributes after the news broke.

 

That matters.

 

Because in fan communities, reputation isn’t built by credit lists.

 

It’s built by how you treat people — at conventions, on sets, and in the quiet moments when cameras aren’t rolling.

 

A farewell to a piece of the saga

Michael Henbury may not have been a household name in the way some Star Wars actors are.

 

But he was part of something bigger: the physical, handcrafted era of filmmaking that made the galaxy far, far away feel real.

 

And when Star Wars fans watch Return of the Jedi again — when we return to Endor, to that final victory, to the fires and the drums and the celebration — Taboo will still be there.

 

A small figure in the frame.

 

But an unforgettable part of the story.

 

Rest in peace, Michael Henbury.

 

Actor

Ralph Fiennes, Gary Oldman, Helena Bonham Carter, John Hurt, Alan Rickman, David Thewlis, Emma Thompson, Jim Broadbent, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Ian Hart, Ciarán Hinds, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, Michael Gambon, Jason Isaacs, Alexandre Desplat, Michael Henbury Ballan, David Barron, Alan Bennett, Sarah Bennett, Sean Biggerstaff, David Bradley, David Bulbeck, Peter Burroughs, Stuart Craig, Mark Day, Mike Edmonds, Alfred Enoch, Tom Felton, Rusty Goffe, Rupert Grint, George Harris, Guy Henry, Andrew Herd, Josh Herdman, David Heyman, Ralph Ineson, Gemma Jones, Tony Kirwood, Steve Kloves, Dave Legeno, Matthew Lewis, Kelly Macdonald, Miriam Margolyes, Helen McCrory, Nick Moran, Devon Murray, Luke Newberry, Ian Peck, Leslie Phillips, Katie Purvis, Daniel Radcliffe, Chris Rankin, Adrian Rawlins, J.K. Rowling, Keijo Salmela, Granville Saxton, Mark Sealey, Eduardo Serra, Judith Sharp, Geraldine Somerville, Richard Trinder, Julie Walters, Emma Watson, Brian Wheeler, Mark Williams, Bonnie Wright, David Yates, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Clémence Poésy, David Ledger, Gabriella Pond, Samantha Davis, Jessica Niles, Persephone Muse, Roseanna Brown, Graham Duff, Joshua Jo, Emil Hostina, Jonothon Masai, Natalia Tena, Georgina Leonidas, Ashley Beaver, Ashley McGuire, Jon Campling, Eva Loy, Nikki Bond, Lily Tello, Phil Holden, Chloé Bruce, David Decio, Katie Leung, Jeff Lipman, Nina Aimer Fox, Jon Key, William Melling, Afshan Azad, Domhnall Gleeson, Spencer Wilding, Natalie Hallam, Binde Johal, Andy Callaghan, Evanna Lynch, Matt Da Silva, Michael Thompson, Charlie Hobbs, Freddie Stroma, Lisa Osmond, Tony Montalbano, Jessie Cave, Benn Northover, Pauline Stone, Peter G. Reed, John Warman, Amber Evans, Ruby Evans, Johann Benét, Grace Meurisse Francis, Louis Cordice, Anna Shaffer, Isabella Laughland, Sean Francis George, Scarlett Hefner, Ninette Finch, Suzanne Toase, Mason Kayne, Tony Adkins, Aimee Holden, Curtis Rowland Small, Paul Bateman, Greg Doherty, Aaron Virdee, George Appleby, Ryan Turner, Ellie Darcey-Alden, Thomas Alan Williamson, Christian Black, Timothy Shieff, Maxwell Laird, Louisa Warren, Adam Brashaw, Kamilla Woodburn, Glen Stanway, Karen Anderson, Sarah-Jane De Crespigny, Arti Shah, Bertie Gilbert, Hebe Beardsall, Jamie McLeod-Ross, Nathan Barris, Mark Dusty Miller, Tim Mcgill Grieveson, Samuel Supple, Gino Picciano, Ifeoma Oboko, Chloe Franks, Sarah Lowe, Elisabeth Roberts, Kelvin Wise, Rohan Gotobed, Chris Knight, Will Dunn, Arthur Bowen, Anthony Allgood, Bob Yves Van Hellenberg Hubar, Joe Kallis, Matthew Hodgkin, Benedict Clarke, Grace Bruce, Hattie Gotobed, Lauren Barrand, Steve Poulsen, Robin Harvey, Jennifer Clegg, Jade Stanger, Victor Akintunde, Gemma Kayla, Helena Barlow, Sian Grace Phillips, Daphne de Beistegui, Toby Papworth, Ariella Paradise, Garry Sayer, Jade Gordon, Jordan Coulson, Nasir Mohamed, Amy Wiles, Israr Azam, Michael Aston, Josh Bennett, Laura Whitfield, Craig Garner, Ryan Webb, Christina Low, Charlie Ryall, Nick Hopper, Alfred Camp, Alain Stash, Steven Hopwood, Lucy Chappell, Chris Chan, Leila Kotori, Sha'ori Morris, Jamie John, Daniella Farley, George Christodoulou, Jada Brevett, Debra Leigh-Taylor, Nick Turner, Collet Collins, Hrvoje Klecz, Ben Champniss, Louisa Bettine, Steve Redford, Isla Jane Selley, Adam Alderman, Rachel Lin, Annabelle Davis, Marta Royles, Zoltan Adorjan, Melissa Gotobed, Dean Conder, Tobi Stubbs, Harper Heyman, Paul Bailey, Natalie Harrison, Phil Wright, Christoph Cordell, Albert Tang, Sandeep Mohan, Sammy Measom, Courtney Fearon, Gideon Tekeste, Rich Goble, and Abram Welsh in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

8.1

Gringotts Goblin (uncredited)

2011

 

Daniela Nardini in Jack Brown and the Curse of the Crown (2004)

Jack Brown and the Curse of the Crown

5.9

Butler (uncredited)

2004

 

Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Billy Barty, Warwick Davis, Kevin Pollak, Kate Greenfield, Ruth Greenfield, Jean Marsh, Rick Overton, and Pat Roach in Willow (1988)

Willow

7.2

Nelwyn Villager (uncredited)

1988

 

Jennifer Connelly, David Bowie, Frank Oz, Brian Henson, Marc Antona, Michael Attwell, David Alan Barclay, Sean Barrett, Timothy Bateson, Denise Bryer, Kevin Clash, Dave Goelz, Michael Hordern, Peter Marinker, Rob Mills, Ron Mueck, Toby Philpott, Karen Prell, David Shaughnessy, and Shari Weiser in Labyrinth (1986)

Labyrinth

7.3

Goblin Corps

1986

 

Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, Warwick Davis, David Prowse, Billy Dee Williams, Michael Carter, and Larry Ward in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

8.3

Ewok (as Michael H. Balham)

1983

 

Self

Britain's Ugliest Models (2009)

Britain's Ugliest Models

TV Series

Self (as Michael Henbury)

2009

1 episode

 

World's Smallest People

7.6

TV Movie

Self (as Michael Henbury)

2008

 

The James Whale Radio Show (1988)

The James Whale Radio Show

6.3

TV Series

Self (uncredited)

1990

1 episode

 

Archive Footage

Star Wars: Battlefront (2004)

Star Wars: Battlefront

8.3

Video Game

Ewok (archive footage)

2004