Gerald was born and raised in Belfast, Northern
Ireland, and emigrated to Australia with his family when he was 16. He started acting while at university
in Australia and spent 3 years as an actor/teacher before moving to London in the mid-70s to study at the Drama Studio.
Since then he has had a wide and varied
career: on the big screen he played Tessek-Squid Head and the Mon Calamari Officer in STAR WARS: RETURN
OF THE JEDI and was a puppeteer on LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, operating Audrey 11, the man-eating plant. More recently, he worked
on CHATROOM and LONDON BOULEVARD.
His many TV appearances include
CASUALTY, SCARLET & BLACK, THE BOOT STREET BAND, JENNY’S WAR, KEEPING MUM, and HARRY’S MAD. He
also worked on SPITTING IMAGE as a puppeteer, and he was the original MR MUSCLE in the long-running series of TV commercials.
In
the West End of London, he appeared in THE BLUE ANGEL at the Gielgud Theatre for the Royal Shakespeare Company, in THE ARABIAN
NIGHTS at the Arts Theatre and for a year in the farce NO SEX PLEASE - WE’RE BRITISH at the Strand Theatre.
His other theatre work includes A CHRISTMAS CAROL in Oxford, THE WIZARD OF OZ in Exeter and tours of SALAD DAYS, DREAMS
OF ANNE FRANK, BELL, BOOK & CANDLE and the mime show PRUFROCK.
In
Wimbledon, London, where he lives, he appeared in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM and in ALICE IN WONDERLAND at the Wimbledon
Theatre and in 10 plays at the Polka Theatre, where favourite roles include Dr. Livesey in TREASURE ISLAND and Professor Moriarty
in a new play about Sherlock Holmes written by Philip Pullman.
Gerald has travelled the world meeting STAR WARS fans,
and is an Honorary Member of several fan groups, including the 501st and Rebel Legions, Star Wars Hungary, the Jedi Outcasts
of Italy and the Bydgoski Fan Klub in Poland. He was made an Honorary Jedi Master by the Jedi Knights of Cleveland and is
"Godfather" to L'Alliance Impériale in Canada. He has his own club in Spain - The CalamariMen Club, in
appreciation of the two characters he played in RETURN OF THE JEDI, and is a Senator on the Knights Of the Empire (KOTE) Imperial
Senate.
In 2007 he narrated, in Spanish, a 30th anniversary charity concert of STAR WARS music, in Valencia,
Spain, and in early 2008 he was made Ambassador of the Star Wars Outer Rim Alliance, SWORA, a newly-formed alliance of many
STAR WARS fan groups from around the world.
CHECK
OUT THESE LINKS:
INTERVIEW ONE
INTERVIEW TWO
