Femi Taylor

Femi Taylor, a British dancer and actress, came into the world on April 8, 1961. Born in Nigeria's Ibadan, she and her twin brother, Tim Taylor, were adopted when she was two years old. During her formative years, she dedicated herself to training at prestigious institutions like the London Contemporary Dance Company and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York. Furthermore, she graced the stage in the original London production of Andrew Lloyd Weber's renowned musical, Cats.

In 1982, Taylor participated in an audition for director Richard Marquand for a dancing position. The then-22-year-old actress was instructed to attend the audition in her swimsuit. Despite her concerns about auditioning for what she perceived as a potentially exploitative film, she proceeded with the audition. It wasn't until after she secured the role of Oola, the Twi'lek slave dancer belonging to Jabba the Hutt, that Taylor realized she was auditioning for the highly anticipated Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.

When Star Wars creator George Lucas decided to create a revised Special Edition of the Star Wars trilogy in 1997, Taylor was invited to reprise her role. New scenes were shot for the Special Edition, notably including several shots of Oola displaying fear before her Hutt master and the fearsome rancor. The filmmakers initially had concerns about potential changes in her appearance since 1982, fearing that she might no longer fit into the original costume. However, Taylor had successfully maintained her physique.

Her brother, Benedict Taylor, portrayed fighter pilot Bravo 2 in Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace.