Irish actor Eddie Byrne portrayed General Vanden Willard in the first Star Wars film. Originally a comedic actor who had his first starring role in Time Gentlemen Please! in 1952, Byrne would later branch out into dramas as well: he would appear with Marlon Brando in Mutiny On The Bounty, and have several guest appearances on the television series The Saint. Star Wars turned out to be his final role filmed, although a previously recorded voice performance in The Thief And The Cobbler was released over a decade after his death. Byrne passed away from a stroke at age 70 in 1981.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
