Erik Bauersfeld, the actor best known for providing the voice of Admiral Ackbar in the original "Star Wars" franchise, died Sunday at age 93.
"Coolwaters Productions LLC is sad to deliver the news today that we have lost a dear client and a true friend,"
Derek Maki, president of Coolwaters, posted on Facebook Monday. "He died in his home early Sunday morning April 3, 2016, in Berkeley, California. His passing was comes at the age of 93 and the cause was natural causes. Erik will be deeply missed by his family here at Coolwaters and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends."
Bauersfeld provided the voice for Admiral Ackbar and Jabba the Hutt's assistant Bib Fortuna in "Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi." He was credited with voicing Ackbar again in "Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens," which was released in December.
Admiral Ackbar, the amphibian-like rebel commander who led the rebel alliance in "Return of the Jedi," gave the film one of its most memorable catchphrases for his warning during the movie's final battle:
"It's a trap," according to The Washington Post.
"I don't remember the first request for an autograph, but I was quite pleased," Bauersfeld said in 2011, according to The Post. "I thought, 'My God, somebody is actually writing to me about something that I almost don't remember doing.' Then they began to come in by the dozens and dozens and dozens."
Bauersfeld's career, though, was established long before Admiral Ackbar, starting with his work in public radio in San Francisco in the 1960s. He worked at radio station KPFA in the station's drama and literature department while teaching at the San Francisco Art Institute, according to the newspaper.
It was Ben Burtt, a sound designer for the original "Star Wars" series, who first approached Bauersfeld to audition to perform voices for 1983's
"Return of the Jedi," according to Deadline.com.
"He showed me a picture of Admiral Ackbar, and I did it,"
Bauersfeld once told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Fans paid tribute to Bauersfeld on social media.
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