Oscar-winning Star Wars editor Marcia Lucas dies at 80
Marcia Lucas, who won an Oscar for her editing work on the original Star Wars film, passed away at 80 from metastatic cancer at her residence in Rancho Mirage, California, on Wednesday. Born Marcia Griffin in 1945 in Modesto, California, she received the Academy Award for Best Film Editing in 1977 for Star Wars, sharing the honor with Richard Chew and Paul Hirsch. During the production of the first three films, she was married to George Lucas and played a vital role in the series' creative direction. She also edited THX 1138 and American Graffiti, for which she received an Oscar nomination, and worked with Martin Scorsese on Taxi Driver. Lucas later contributed to The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. She is survived by two daughters.
Key facts
- Marcia Lucas died aged 80 from metastatic cancer at her home in Rancho Mirage, California.
- She won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for 1977's Star Wars alongside Richard Chew and Paul Hirsch.
- She was married to George Lucas during the making of the first three Star Wars films.
- She worked on THX 1138, American Graffiti (Oscar nomination), and Scorsese films including Taxi Driver.
- She later edited The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983).
- She and George Lucas adopted a daughter, Amanda, in 1981 and divorced in 1983.
- She later married Tom Rodrigues and had a second daughter, Amy.
- Mark Hamill and Lucasfilm paid tribute to her.
Entities
Artists
- Marcia Lucas
- George Lucas
- Richard Chew
- Paul Hirsch
- Martin Scorsese
- Mark Hamill
- Marilou Hamill
- Tom Rodrigues
Institutions
- Lucasfilm
- Skywalker Ranch
- Rolling Stone
Locations
- Rancho Mirage
- California
- United States
- Modesto