Star Wars legend Marcia Lucas, who edited two of the original trilogy, has died aged 80 from cancer at her home in Rancho Mirage, California.
She won an Oscar for her work on 1977’s Star Wars, later retitled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, which was directed by her then-husband George Lucas.
The best film editing accolade was one of eight Academy Awards won by the sci-fi adventure, with it nominated for four more, including best director.
Lucas also worked with her ex on Return of the Jedi, as well as American Graffiti (earning another Oscar nod) and his directorial debut THX 1138.
A statement from the family read: ‘Marcia will be remembered as a brilliant storyteller, a trailblazer for women in film, a loving mother and grandmother, a generous host, and a loyal friend whose humor and sparkle filled every room she entered.
‘Her influence on film is indelible, but those who knew her best will remember the way she made life feel more vivid, more beautiful, more fun, and more full of love.’
They added: ‘Her work was known for its emotional intelligence, rhythm, and humanity — a rare ability to find the truth of a scene and bring heart, momentum, and clarity to the screen.’
Alongside her Star Wars credits with George, who she married in 1969 and divorced in 1983, Lucas notably also worked with Martin Scorsese.
She edited three of his classic works: Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Taxi Driver and New York, New York.
Lucas is remembered for her influential role in shaping Star Wars and was sometimes referred to as her ex’s ‘secret weapon’.
They had met while working as apprentice editors on Journey to the Pacific in 1967, marrying two years later and adopting a daughter, Amanda, in 1981.
In The Secret History of Star Wars, author Michael Kaminski wrote: ‘Marcia, along with many of George’s friends, critiqued which characters worked, which ones didn’t, which scenes were good, and Lucas composed the script in this way.
‘Marcia was always critical of Star Wars, but she was one of the few people Lucas listened to carefully, knowing she had a skill for carving out strong characters.’
Despite others’ insistence on Lucas’ influence on the legendary franchise, she downplayed her creative input.
‘I definitely made scenes work,’ she once said. ‘I made the end battle work, I definitely had a lot to do with making it work, but I wasn’t the writer and I wasn’t the director, and I didn’t come up with the creative names.
‘Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker. All those names are classics. George came up with all of it using his amazing imagination.’
She reportedly wasn’t a big fan of the prequels, revealing she ‘cried’ at Phantom Menace because she ‘didn’t think it was that good’.
Lucas was also said to be critical of the later sequel trilogy and furious over the deaths of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, declaring Kathleen Kennedy and J.J. Abrams just ‘don’t get it’.
After her split from George in 1983, which he had asked to keep private until after Return of the Jedi’s release, she married Tom Rodrigues, a stained glass artist.
In 1985, they welcomed daughter Amy, but after almost 10 years together, they also divorced.
Since the 90s, Lucas has stepped away from the world of Hollywood, having been given a $50million divorce settlement by the Indiana Jones icon.
Her final film credit was as an executive producer of No Easy Way in 1996, but she never edited another film after Return of the Jedi.
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