UAE-based ex-soldier on his Star Wars role

This content was originally posted in 7DAYS UAE website at: UAE-based ex-soldier on his Star Wars role The director of the latest movie in the hit Star Wars franchise was so determined to make the Stormtroopers authentic that he enlisted a former soldier to train them. Ex-British soldier, Lee Drinkwater, 40, currently a DJ in Dubai, was chosen to put eight Stormtroopers through their paces for The Force Awakens, which he says was one of the best experiences of his life. Drinkwater told 7DAYS: “Storm- troopers from the older movies were known to be rubbish, they never really aimed and took proper shots, and JJ Abrams, being a really good director, wanted them to be as true to life as possible. “I was asked to combat train them like how we do in real life, rather than just standing and shooting. They were taught how to make use of space and actually aim at targets, so it will all be more realistic.” RELATED: Dubai-based lawyer landed extra role in Star Wars by chance Being a massive Star Wars fan, Drinkwater recalls the moment when they finally told him he would be working on The Force Awakens, after a couple of meetings. “I nearly fell off the chair when I heard, this was such a massive part of my childhood, I would’ve done it for free, but getting paid was an extra bonus,” he said. As to the training, Drinkwater said: “It was just how you would train people for any other military movie, but there were a few challenges because they were dressed in plastic, so movement was a little difficult. “Out of the eight I trained, there were two stunt guys who had weapons training before, so that was easy, but the rest didn’t – for them I had to really go back to the basics, how to hold a gun, point it and how to move around. Moreover, we were training in 45 degrees, these Stormtroopers had ice packs inside their plastic suits to keep them cool.” Drinkwater also ended up with a role in the movie, but had to wear ‘Spice Girl’ boots and a robotic arm, earning him the nickname Robospice from JJ Abrams. mahak@7days.ae Read the original story at: UAE-based ex-soldier on his Star Wars role