Richard Treat Williams, born on December 1, 1951 and passing away on June 12, 2023, was a performer of the American silver screen. He garnered nominations for a Emmy Award, a pair of Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a trio of Golden Globe Awards.
During the 1979 production of Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back at England's Elstree Studios, Treat Williams made a visit to the set to see Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia Organa), as detailed in the now-defunct StarWars.com Hyperspace feature "Photoreceptor." John Morton (Dak Ralter) stated that Williams, present in London at the time, decided to appear in the movie as a background actor, and did so with the approval of the film's crew. According to Morton, Williams is seen in the movie at some point during the interior Echo Base scenes on Hoth, wearing the tan uniform of a Rebel soldier. While on the set, Williams became friends with Harrison Ford (Han Solo) and took photos with Fisher. His role in the movie went uncredited.
Few official Lucasfilm releases have discussed Williams' presence on the set of The Empire Strikes Back, and none have definitively confirmed that he was actually in the film. Up until now, only the now-defunct StarWars.com Hyperspace feature "Photoreceptor" (2004) and the 2010 behind-the-scenes book The Making of The Empire Strikes Back, authored by Jonathan W. Rinzler, have formally published black-and-white images of Williams in Rebel soldier attire, posing with Carrie Fisher on the Echo Base set, accompanied by captions that verified Williams' identity.
Williams passed away on June 12, 2023, at the age of 71, due to injuries he sustained from a motorbike incident.
- Photoreceptor - In For a Treat on Hyperspace (content obsolete and backup link not available)
- The Making of The Empire Strikes Back
- Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – The Official Collector's Edition