Richard LeParmentier was born near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. He spent much of his youth in England and Ireland and returned to London for a holiday in 1973. He appeared in a play in London and soon started appearing in television and films. STAR WARS was Richard's third film.

His role as Admiral Motti the Imperial Officer who believed more in the power of his Death Star than the power of The Force earned him a memorable place in what has been voted The Film of The Millennium.

He has appeared in over fifty films and television shows in Britain and the United States, these include such international hits as Stardust, Rollerball, Reds, Superman II, Valentino, The London Embassy, Space 1999, Lillie Langtry, The Man in the Green Hat (as Ernest Hemingway), Capital City, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

According to our well-informed sources, you enjoy the traditional Polish cuisine. We're wondering however, how do you generally find our Slavic culture of feasting and drinking?

I haven't had the first hand experience of it yet. It's one of the things I'm looking forward to. I love perogi and golabki. I'm looking forward to trying some new things when I visit Poland at the end of the month.

The news about you becoming the new SWORA Ambassador quickly spread among Polish fans. Do you believe in bringing Star Wars fans from all over the world together, an idea which SWORA is based on?

It's the reason I took the position. I've worked with fan groups all over the world and want to bring them into SWORA to make it a truly international fan group.

Motti bickering with Vader has become an integral element of cinema history. Do you feel proud that you created a scene that is recognisable even after more than 30 years passed since the movie premiered?

I am very proud of receiving the first Force Choke. It is allegedly the top Darth Vader moment in all six films.

The choking scene contains a certain comical quality, which was later used in advertisements for licensed products (e.g. don't use mobile phones in the cinema). Was filming the scene equally cheerful, or is audience laughter an effect which was not foreseen by Lucas?

Actually I've met many fans in their 30's and 40's who were very young at the time and they were actually scared to death when Vader choked me. It only became a comic icon later and I love it.

Last year, during a chat with Conan O'Brian, George Lucas revealed the full name of the Admiral - Conan Antonio Motti. Did you like the idea, or is it something you don't find interesting at all?

The Imperial Chicks website has been campaigning for years to gets us official first names so coming from George personally, well that was a real honor.

You took part in many large-scale Hollywood productions. Judging from the point of view of a person working on the set, which of the movies made the greatest impression on you?

I would have to say my first film, Stardust as I was such a novice and I learned so much from the director and the two stars.

While working on the set of Superman II you must've come into contact with the world of comic books. Would you say you're a fan of graphic novels yourself?

Very much so. I'm writing one at the moment. I can't wait for The Spirit.

In an interview which you did for Lightsabre in 2005 you mentioned a fan-film you wrote, which was to answer the question: how would Motti's life go by, if he had escaped the exploding Death Star. Our sources say that people at Lucasfilm enjoyed the script, but there have been no further news about the film. Could you please shed some more light on the project?

I'm about to publish it on my website. I'm also hoping that it will finally be animated. Perhaps with the success of The Clone Wars we'll finally get it made.

You're also a successful screenwriter. What would you say is the main source of your inspiration?

I guess history. My best work is based on historical events. I've written several black comedies for film and television as well. I don't write SciFi; well, a futuristic script, not SciFi in the accepted fashion.

Do you read SF novels? If so, who is your favourite author?

See above. I don't. I should. I want to read J.G. Ballard, he's on my list. I'm also a fan of Phillip K. Dick. My futuristic thriller has been favorably compared to his work.

Have you heard about the Obi-Wan Kenobi Street here in Poland, which was visited last year by Paul Blake and Gerald Home? How do like an idea of a street named after a Star Wars character?

Wow. I didn't know that. I think it's great. They're trying to get a statue of Darth Vader in Bristol, Dave Prowse's home town. Now you've got me thinking, Rue Motti in Paris. There is an Avenue Parmentier already.