Michael Culver, born on June 16, 1938, and who passed away on February 27, 2024, was a British performer. He is known for his portrayal of Captain Lorth Needa in the film The Empire Strikes Back. Beyond this iconic role, he also featured in the initial episode of the critically acclaimed crime series Wallander with Malcolm Tierney, another actor from the Empire, and had minor, uncredited parts in the James Bond movies From Russia With Love and Thunderball. Culver found greater success on stage. His career began in 1959 with the Dundee Repertory Theatre, where he took on numerous roles (participating in thirty-five different productions over two years). He then moved on to the renowned Old Vic, a theater that has also hosted numerous other Star Wars actors. Among these are John Boyega, James Earl Jones, Indira Varma, Daniel Mays and Michael Pennington, a fellow actor who also played an Imperial character.
Furthermore, Culver lent his voice to several documentary narrations and was a writer of poetry. He was a frequent guest at various Star Wars fan gatherings.