Peter Wilton Cushing (May 26, 1913 – August 11, 1994) was an English actor best known for his roles in the Hammer Studios horror films of the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s, as well as his performance as Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin in Star Wars (1977). Spanning over six decades, his acting career included appearances in more than 100 films, as well as many television, stage and radio roles.

He gained the highest amount of visibility in his career in 1977, when he appeared as Grand Moff Tarkin in the first Star Wars film. Director George Lucas wanted a particularly strong actor for the part and Cushing was his first choice, although the actor claimed he was initially approached to play the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Did you know that Grand Moff Tarkin was mostly shot from the waist up in Star Wars? That’s because the boots for his costume were too small for his size twelve feet. Peter Cushing described wearing them as absolute agony, so Lucas agreed to keep the camera close to the actor as much as he possibly could, allowing Cushing to wear much more comfortable footwear.