Actor and director Rio Hackford, who notably gave his gestures to the robot IG-11 in the first season of the Star Wars series “The Mandalorian”, has died at the age of 52.
“A super fan of countless scenes, peculiar gestures of unknown actors, strange career turns, roaring comebacks, swan songs in the cinema…” This is how screenwriter DV DeVincentis describes his friend Rio Hackford on Instagram, who died of illness this Thursday, April 14 in California according to information confirmed by Variety. Son of director Taylor Hackford (Ray, The Devil’s Advocate, Officer and Gentleman) and stepson of Helen Mirren, he was 52 years old.
Owner of bars between California and New Orleans, actor in his spare time, Rio Hackford had recently shown himself in the Disney+ series Pam & Tommy, in a small managerial role. Appreciated by Treme fans for his role as Toby, which he played in ten episodes between 2010 and 2013, he has included in his filmography some notable films such as Pretty Woman (he played a junkie), Strange Days, Swingers, Deja Vu , Jonah Hex or In the Electric Mist by Bertrand Tavernier.
Fans of the Star Wars saga know him for his gestures and his body-languagesince he was the one who “physically” embodied the bounty hunter droid IG-11 opposite Din Djarin / Pedro Pascal in the first season of The Mandalorian series (the robot was then dubbed by Taika Waititi). Rio Hackford had also appeared face down in the fifth episode of the series, slipping into the costume of the Riot Mar bounty huntershot down by the Mandalorian.
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