Mark Dodson, ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Gremlins’ Voice Actor, Dies at 64

Mark Dodson, the voice actor known for his work in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and Gremlins, died on Saturday. He was 64.

Dodson passed away in Evansville, IL, his representative told The Hollywood Reporter. Stellar Appearances, Dodson’s talent agency, first announced his death via a statement on social media on Sunday.

“Mark worked on dozens of movies, video games, commercials and advertisements adding his unique voice and sound to each character and script he touched,” the statement reads, adding that his career “spanned more than four decades as a radio man, voice actor, producer and fan favorite of convention attendees across the world.”

Return of the Jedi marked Dodson’s first feature film performance in 1983. The following year, his voice appeared as several different gremlin in Gremlins — he later returned for Gremlins 2: The New Batch in 1990. In 2015, he also returned to the Star Wars universe, lending his voice to 2015’s The Force Awakens as Niima Scavenger.

Dodson’s other notable credits include his voice in Day of the Dead (1985), Deadwood Park (2007), Kaptara (2007) and Headcheese: The Movie (2020). In gaming, he was most recently the voice of Adam Hamada in 2023’s Ghostrunner II.

“Mark truly loved his fans and enjoyed meeting them at conventions around the world,” the statement continued, adding that he was “honored to be inducted into dozens of the local chapters of the Star Wars 501st Legions over the past several decades.”

“Mark leaves behind a wonderful family, close friends, and adoring fans around the world,” the statement concluded.