Biography
Sebastian Shaw (born Sebastian Lewis Shaw) was an English actor, theatre director, novelist, playwright and poet. Born on 29 May 1905 in Holt, Norfolk, he made his stage debut as a child and trained at Gresham's School and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He worked primarily on the London stage, with a Broadway debut in 1929, and appeared in more than 40 film and television productions from 1930 onwards.
Shaw was particularly noted for his Shakespearean roles. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966 and remained with it for a decade. During the Second World War he served in the Royal Air Force. His film credits include The Spy in Black (1939) and, most prominently for later audiences, the role of Anakin Skywalker in Return of the Jedi (1983), both unmasked in the climactic scene and as a Force ghost in the original theatrical release. He also wrote a novel, The Christening (1975). Shaw died on 23 December 1994 in Brighton, Sussex.
