Jeremy Bulloch, 'Star Wars' actor who played bounty hunter Boba Fett, dies at 75

Jeremy Bulloch, the mild-mannered British actor who portrayed feared bounty hunter Boba Fett in "Star Wars" films "The Empire Strikes Back" and "The Return of the Jedi," died Thursday at 75.

"We are very sad to announce the death of actor Jeremy Bulloch," longtime agent Kelly Andrews said in a statement to USA TODAY. "He died peacefully, in hospital, surrounded by his family, from health complications following his many years living with Parkinson’s disease."

A tribute on the "Star Wars" Twitter account said Bulloch "will be remembered not only for his iconic portrayal of the legendary character, but also for his warmth and generous spirit which have become an enduring part of his rich legacy."

The helmeted bounty hunter Boba Fett spoke four lines of dialogue (performed by another actor) but became a "Star Wars" fan favorite — flying off with a froze-in-carbonite Han Solo in 1980′s “The Empire Strikes Back" and zooming around the desert of Tatooine in a jet pack in 1983′s "Return of the Jedi."

Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker in "Star Wars," wrote on Twitter that Bulloch "was the quintessential English gentleman" and "so kind to everyone lucky enough to meet or work with him. I will deeply miss him (and) am so grateful to have known him."

Billy Dee Williams, whose Lando Calrissian appeared in scenes with Boba Fett, tweeted, "Today we lost the best bounty hunter in the galaxy. RIP Jeremy Bulloch."

Friend and protégé, Daniel Logan, who played Boba Fett in the prequel "Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones" and voiced the character in TV's "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" wrote that he was in tears over Bulloch's passing in an Instagram post featuring a picture of the two.

"I'll never forget all you've taught me. I'll love you forever," Logan wrote. "May the force be with you always."

Born on February 16, 1945 in Leicestershire, England, Bulloch landed his first big role at age 17 in the British musical film "Summer Holiday" which starred pop idol Cliff Richard.

His long acting career included credits for the 1977 James Bond film "The Spy Who Loved Me" and 1983′s "Octopussy" as well as the "Doctor Who" TV series between from 1965 to 1974.

But Bulloch will be remembered most for playing the masked "Star Wars" role. Speaking to USA TODAY in 2013, Bulloch said that "Star Wars" trilogy director George Lucas would have him stand for hours in the cumbersome Boba Fett outfit which featured the famed jet pack.

"If you leaned back slightly you could actually topple over because (the jet pack) was top-heavy," Bulloch said. "But the vanity of actors, when you looked at yourself in the mirror in the morning, I thought, 'This costume looks fantastic.' "

The biggest challenge was not acting too much portraying the mysterious character, he said.

"There's no point in waving a gun around and saying, 'I'm Boba Fett.' That's a bit weak," Bulloch said. "The best thing to do is almost do nothing. Less is best, really."

In a tribute comment to StarWars.com, Lucas appreciated that restraint. "Jeremy brought the perfect combination of mystery and menace to his performance of Boba Fett, which is just what I wanted the character to convey," said Lucas.

Bulloch said he had no problem being remembered as the iconic "Star Wars" character, despite his long career acting in other parts. He also played two "Star Wars" roles without the mask, stepping in to play Imperial officer Lieutenant Sheckil in "The Empire Strikes Back" (leading captive Princess Leia through Cloud City) and Captain Jeremoch Colton in "Revenge of the Sith."

"I played Hamlet when I was 17 and everybody tries to do Shakespeare, and it was lovely. People prefer you as Boba Fett, so that means that they prefer that I had a mask on and wasn't performing on stage," Bulloch said. "I'll never forget 'Star Wars.' You can't. It's in your head probably every day."

Contributing: Brian Truitt, the Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Star Wars' veteran Jeremy Bulloch, who played Boba Fett, dies at 75