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Padmé Amidala: the story on HearLore | HearLore
— Ch. 1 · Origins And Conception —
Padmé Amidala.
~6 min read · Ch. 1 of 7
George Lucas first mentioned Padmé Amidala in the 1983 film Return of the Jedi. Leia Organa tells Luke Skywalker that she has faint memories of her mother, who turns out to be Luke's mother as well. Lucas created a backstory for the mother while writing the original trilogy, but it did not make it into the films. He wanted her to be mentioned because he was planning on introducing her as a main character in later films. When Lucas began writing The Phantom Menace, he envisioned similarities between Padmé and Leia. He described Leia as "the daughter who follows so closely in her [mother's] footsteps." Concept artists received character outlines from Lucasfilm during development. They described the fourteen-year-old Padmé as similar to Princess Ozma from the Land of Oz series of novels. Filmmakers auditioned over two hundred actresses for the role before selecting Natalie Portman. She was eighteen at the time.
Portman Casting Process
Natalie Portman was selected after auditions involving over two hundred actresses. One concept artist, Iain McCaig, said Portman exhibited vulnerability and strength akin to Ozma. Portman thought it would be empowering for young female viewers to witness the intelligence and leadership abilities of the teenage monarch. She worked closely with George Lucas on her character's accent and mannerisms. She watched the films of Lauren Bacall, Audrey Hepburn, and Katharine Hepburn to draw inspiration from their voice and stature. Portman was relatively unfamiliar with the Star Wars franchise when she was cast. She watched the original trilogy before filming began. Costume designer Trisha Biggar initially planned only three costumes for Padmé. Lucas felt that a noble of her stature would be constantly changing her wardrobe depending on the occasion. He decided that every time the queen appeared in The Phantom Menace, she would be wearing a different costume. The resulting wardrobe was influenced by fashions from Japan, Mongolia, Tibet and other countries. For Attack of the Clones, Lucas wanted Padmé's garb to reflect the romantic storyline. He requested that her costumes be "skimpy" and "sultry". Padmé's garments were displayed at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles in 2005.
Political Leadership On Naboo
Padmé makes her first appearance in The Phantom Menace as the recently-elected queen of Naboo. She is dedicated to ending her planet's occupation by the Trade Federation. She negotiates with Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray, who attempts to force her to sign a treaty which would legitimize the Federation's occupation. Padmé escapes from Naboo with the help of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi. On the way to Coruscant, they are forced to land on Tatooine to repair their ship. Disguised as a handmaiden, Padmé meets the nine-year-old slave boy Anakin Skywalker. She witnesses him win a podrace that both aids her mission to Coruscant and secures his freedom. She and Anakin bond as they journey from Tatooine to Coruscant. Padmé consults with Senator Palpatine, who encourages her to appeal to the Senate to resolve Naboo's conflict with the Federation. Palpatine persuades her to make a motion to have Supreme Chancellor Valorum removed from office. This enables Palpatine to be elected in his place. Padmé returns to Naboo to fight for her planet's freedom, enlisting the aid of Jar Jar Binks and his Gungan tribe. The Gungans create a diversion to lure the Federation's droid armies away from the palace. A small force led by Padmé enters the palace and captures Gunray.
Secret Romance With Anakin
Padmé returns in Attack of the Clones, which is set ten years after The Phantom Menace. She now represents Naboo in the Galactic Senate and leads a faction opposed to the Military Creation Act. As she arrives on Coruscant to cast her vote, assassins hired by the Separatists attempt to kill her. Obi-Wan and his apprentice Anakin are assigned to protect Padmé. Palpatine sends Padmé into hiding on Naboo, where she and Anakin struggle to maintain a platonic relationship despite their obvious mutual attraction. When Anakin has a vision of his mother Shmi in danger, Padmé accompanies him to Tatooine. They fail to rescue her from a band of Tusken Raiders. Anakin returns to Padmé with his mother's body and confesses that he slaughtered the entire Tusken tribe. Padmé is troubled by what Anakin has done, but nevertheless comforts him. After they receive a message from Obi-Wan, Padmé and Anakin go to Geonosis to aid him. They are captured and condemned to death by the Separatist leader Count Dooku. Facing execution, Padmé and Anakin profess their love for each other. They are saved from death by an army of Jedi and clone troopers. Afterwards, Padmé and Anakin are married in a secret ceremony on Naboo.
Tragic Death And Legacy
Padmé appears in the 2008 animated film The Clone Wars, which serves as a pilot episode for the television series of the same name. While Anakin and his apprentice Ahsoka Tano search for Jabba the Hutt's son Rotta, Padmé meets Ziro the Hutt to convince him to side with the Jedi. After Ziro forcibly removes Padmé, she escapes and eavesdrops on his communication with Count Dooku about an elaborate scheme to kill Rotta. C-3PO leads a squad of Coruscant Guard troopers to rescue her. Padmé then contacts Jabba just as the Hutt is about to execute Anakin and Ahsoka. She forces Ziro to confess his betrayal. Padmé negotiates an alliance between the Republic and the Hutts. She is voiced by Catherine Taber in the series. Padmé is featured in three novels by E.K. Johnston, collectively referred to as the "Queen's Series." The first novel to be released, Queen's Shadow, is set four years after the events of The Phantom Menace. As Padmé ends her reign as queen and becomes a senator, she helps liberate a number of slaves on Tatooine. A prequel to Queen's Shadow, titled Queen's Peril, takes place before and during The Phantom Menace. Following the acquisition
Expanded Universe Adaptations
of Lucasfilm by The Walt Disney Company in 2012, most licensed Star Wars Expanded Universe material was rebranded as Star Wars Legends.
Portman's performance in the prequel films was criticized in a number of reviews. James Berardinelli called her acting in The Phantom Menace "lackluster," while Annlee Ellingson of Box Office Magazine said her delivery was "stiff and flat, perhaps hindered by the gorgeous but cumbersome costumes." Mike Clark of USA Today complained about the performances of both Portman and Hayden Christensen. He wrote that they speak in monotone for doubly deadly effect. Reviewing Revenge of the Sith, Ed Halter of The Village Voice said that computer-generated characters emot[ed] more convincingly than either Portman or Christensen. Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle offered a less critical appraisal, describing Portman's portrayal in Revenge of the Sith as "decorative and sympathetic". Despite the criticism, Portman's performances in both Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith earned her nominations for the Saturn Award for Best Actress. Padmé's garments were displayed at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles in 2005, and at the Detroit Institute of Arts in 2018.
When was Padmé Amidala first mentioned in Star Wars films?
George Lucas first mentioned Padmé Amidala in the 1983 film Return of the Jedi. Leia Organa tells Luke Skywalker that she has faint memories of her mother, who turns out to be Luke's mother as well.
Who played Padmé Amidala in The Phantom Menace and how old was she during casting?
Natalie Portman was selected after auditions involving over two hundred actresses. She was eighteen at the time when filmmakers auditioned over two hundred actresses for the role before selecting Natalie Portman.
What year were Padmé Amidala garments displayed at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising?
Padmé's garments were displayed at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles in 2005. Her costumes were influenced by fashions from Japan, Mongolia, Tibet and other countries.
How many years after The Phantom Menace is Attack of the Clones set?
Padmé returns in Attack of the Clones which is set ten years after The Phantom Menace. She now represents Naboo in the Galactic Senate and leads a faction opposed to the Military Creation Act.
Which actress voiced Padmé Amidala in The Clone Wars animated series?
She is voiced by Catherine Taber in the series. Padmé appears in the 2008 animated film The Clone Wars which serves as a pilot episode for the television series of the same name.