William Hootkins, remembered by Star Wars fans for his role as Rebel pilot Jek Porkins in A New Hope passed away this past weekend in Santa Monica, California at the age of 58.
Born in Texas, Hootkins moved to the UK early in his career, residing in England when the original Star Wars was being produced. There, he was cast in the role of Porkins a.k.a. Red Six, the Rebel starfighter pilot who flies in the attack against the Death Star.
Though Porkins did not fly back home to the Rebel base in Episode IV, Hootkins would appear in other Lucasfilm productions. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, he played Major Eaton, one of the Army Intelligence officers who recruits Indiana Jones to track down the Ark of Covenant. Hootkins would again meet Indy when he played Russian ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev in the "Barcelona, May 1917" episode of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, which was edited into the movie, Espionage Escapades.
Hootkins' other credits include Trail of the Pink Panther, Batman, A River Runs Through It, and the forthcoming Colour Me Kubrick. On television, he appeared on episodes of "Cheers," "Taxi," and "Blackadder." Hootkins appeared in numerous productions on the British stage.
