Actor Gary Friedkin died on December 9 at the age of 70. Friedkin was known for his appearances in various movies and television shows. He struggled with Covid-19 for a long time, which ultimately led to his death. He was admitted to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital and stayed there for four weeks. Friedkin died at his residence surrounded by his family members.
The funeral will be held at the Shriver-Allison-Courtley-Weller-King Funeral Home with a celebration planned for spring next year.
Gary Friedkin played one of the Ewoks in Star Wars.
While Gary Friedkin has played various film and television roles over the years, he has gained recognition for his portrayal of one of the Ewoks in Star Wars.
Ewoks are sentient furred bipeds from the moon of Endor. They may be short in stature, but they are experts when it comes to surviving inside a forest and building technological tools like gliders and catapults. They can easily know anything related to technology.
The Ewoks joined members of the Rebel Alliance for help. They also helped destroy the Imperial Shield generator and their weapons could easily defeat the Empire’s stormtroopers and scouts. When the Empire built its base on Endor, it did not consider the welfare of the Ewoks.
After the Rebel Strike Team was captured by the Empire, the Ewoks rose up against the Imperials. Though they only had bows and spears as weapons, they used them to take down stormers and build traps to defeat scouts.
The Ewoks appeared in Return of the Jedi which was released on May 25, 1983. Directed by Richard Marquand, the film received positive reviews and grossed approximately $475 million at the box office.
Gary Friedkin could play more musical instruments.
Born November 23, 1952, Gary Friedkin had four siblings and was an expert at playing various musical instruments. He is a graduate of Youngstown State University’s Dana School of Music. He started his acting career in 1981 and worked with some familiar faces like Chevy Chase, Gary Marshall, Carrie Fisher, Julia Roberts and others. His hobbies included watching sports, movies and TV shows. He also loved spending time with his family.
He convinced his close friends to join the Little People of America, of which he was also a member. His obituary stated that a scholarship program has been launched at Youngstown State under his name and will help those with disabilities in the performing arts.
