Actor Peter Sumner, best known for his role in the original "Star Wars" movie, has passed away at the age of 74. Accordingly, the actor has been battling a long illness and is the cause of his death.
The agent of the "Star Wars" actor confirmed his death. Peter Sumner was the only Australian actor to work on the 1977 hit flick and was on set for only two days. He portrayed the role of Lt. Pol Treidum and one of his memorable lines reads: "TK-421, do you copy?" In one of his interview in the past, he joked that the aforementioned line would be what would be written on his tombstone if he dies. It is unclear if this will actually be written on his tombstone.
The screen time of Peter Sumner on "Star Wars" was very limited but a lot of fans loved him. He said in an interview with Morning Herald in 2015 that he was so moved by the letters he received in the past as most of them came from kids who were sick. He said that he decided to answer every single letter that he received, Entertainment Weekly reported.
A.V. Club also reported that Lt. Pol Treidum was the Imperial officer who is working in the Death Star hangar and the one who noticed that a pair of Stormtroopers has gone missing. During that time, they were searching the just-captured Millennium. It is believed that his character was killed by Chewbacca when the heroes tried to rescue Princess Leia.
Peter Sumner once talked about filming "Star Wars" saying that he was amazed by the elaborate set of Death Star. He also recalled his first meeting with George Lucas saying that he thought the actor was an accountant as he wore an old white shirt and grey pants.
Peter Sumner reprised his role in the "Star Wars" fan flick entitled "The Dark Redemption." His other on-screen projects include the 1970 flick "Ned Kelly," "Play School" and Australian series such as "Spyforce," "Cluedo," and "Heartbreak High."
Peter Sumner worked as a high school teacher before he became an actor.
