Actor Phil Brown, who played Luke Skywalker's Uncle Owen in the 1977 hit film "Star Wars," has died in Woodland Hills, Calif., at age 89.
Brown died of pneumonia Thursday at the Motion Picture and Television Country House and Hospital, The Los Angeles Times reported Monday.
Brown was blacklisted during the McCarthy period, although he always denied being a Communist, the newspaper said. He left Hollywood for London, where stayed for 40 years appearing on stage and in films such as "Tropic of Cancer" and "Twilight's Last Gleaming."
George Lucas was filming interior "Star Wars" scenes in London in the mid-1970s and stumbled across Brown as he was looking for an actor with a strong U.S. accent for the role of Uncle Owen, the newspaper said.
When he returned to California in early 1990s, Brown was surprised to learn his small "Star Wars" had made him a cult celebrity.
He is survived by his wife of 65 years, a son, two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
© Copyright 2006 by United Press International
