AN actor who starred in Return of the Jedi spoke about his time filming the sci-fi blockbuster during his guest appearance at Truro Comic Con.

John Simpkin, who played the role of Klaatu, a henchman in Jabba the Hutt’s Palace, met fans at the event held at the Ben Ainslie Sports Centre.

The actor and musician, who also appeared as a Stormtrooper in the ‘You Rebel Scum scene, as well as several other films including For Your Eyes Only, Flash Gordon and Superman, splits his time between living in Mousehole and London.

John said: “I have really fond memories of filming Return of the Jedi. I really enjoyed it.

“I remember walking onto the incredible throne room set and seeing Jabba the Hutt for the first time.

“The set was incredibly hot, and a couple of the actors wearing latex alien heads actually collapsed during the first days of shooting.

“After that the wardrobe guys hit on the idea of poking hairdryers set on cold into our mouths between takes to give us air and it worked.

“Carrie Fisher who played Princess Leia was such a delightful person on set.

“We were supposed to be serious, but Carrie was always so funny. I would be behind the Klaatu mask trying not to laugh. I also had a lot of interaction with Mark Hamill who played Luke Skywalker. Hanging out with them was a pleasure.

“Harrison Ford who played Han Solo kept himself to himself and was not so much up for a laugh as the others. Although he was very serious and not overly friendly it was not in an offensive way. He just wanted to do the job and well. Harrison was such a good actor.

“They said I was about the right size to be a Stormtrooper, and I did some scenes, which I enjoyed.”

The popularity of Star Wars has seen John Simpkin attend conventions around the world.

John said: “I really enjoy attending Star Wars events. It’s an opportunity to meet people. Often many who I haven’t seen for years. They are a great experience.

“Some of the other Return of the Jedi Actors have become really good friends such as Femi Taylor who played the role of Jabba the Hutt's Twi'lek slave dancer Oola.

“I travelled with her and her husband to Sweden to attend a Star Wars convention. Playing the role of Klaatu did change my life for the better. Within a few years I was being invited to sign autographs and I’ve travelled as far away as Japan.”

Paul James from Falmouth, who has one of the biggest Klaatu collections in the world, was among the fans who met John at Truro Comic Con. He displays his Klaatu collection at his restaurant CJ’s at the Sanctuary.

Paul said: “I was a bit older than others when I got into Star Wars as I was born in 1979. Klaatu was the first figure I opened in 1984. I used to call him meany, greeny face.

“Then at the restaurant I realised I had so many Klaatu items and I started to put a small collection together. The Klaatu figures are relatively cheap until you get into the more obscure ones.

“It was a real pleasure to have John visit my restaurant. We broke bread, ate pasta and drank wine. He signed my Klaatu cabinet and the chair he sat on. He was a real gentleman.”

John said: “I’m a big supporter of people who collect Star Wars, especially those who collect Klaatu memorabilia.

“When I met Paul at his restaurant, I thought he was slightly mad,” he joked. “He has an enormous Klaatu collection, which might be the biggest in Europe. I thought his cooking was good to.”