Honestly, if you grew up watching Return of the Jedi, there is one specific image that probably stuck with you—and no, I'm not talking about the Ewoks. I am talking about that flash of green skin and the haunting rattle of a chain in a dark, sweaty palace on Tatooine. Most casual fans just call her the "Jabba the Hutt dancer," but the story behind Oola, and the other performers in that grime-slicked throne room, is way more intense than what we saw on screen for three minutes.
It’s easy to look at those scenes now and see them as just another weird alien moment. But for the actors involved, it was a grueling, messy, and bizarrely technical job. They weren't just background extras. They were professional dancers dropped into a literal pit of sand and rubber.
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The Tragedy of Oola: More Than a Background Character
Most people remember Oola as the girl who didn't want to hold Jabba’s hand and ended up as Rancor food. Her real name is Femi Taylor. She’s a Nigerian-British dancer who, quite frankly, defied the laws of aging.
When George Lucas decided to do the Special Editions in the late 90s, he wanted to expand the Rancor pit scene. He needed Femi back. The crazy part? It had been 14 years since she filmed the original movie. She put on that green makeup and the same skimpy leather costume, and she looked exactly the same. It’s one of the few times a Special Edition change actually felt seamless because the original actress was right there, still hitting the choreography perfectly.
The Green Paint Nightmare
You think your morning routine is bad? Femi Taylor had to endure three hours of makeup every single day. We’re talking four layers of green greasepaint applied with sponges. She once mentioned in an interview that between takes, she couldn't even sit down or lean against anything. She basically had to hover or lie perfectly still so the paint wouldn’t smudge.
Then there were the lekku—those long head-tails. They weren't light. Imagine trying to perform a professional-grade contemporary dance while two heavy bags of silicone are swinging around your neck, trying to choke you every time you spin.
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Yarna d’al’ Gargan: The "Fat Dancer" with a Secret Backstory
If Oola was the tragic beauty, Yarna d’al’ Gargan was the character that made everyone do a double-take. Played by the late Claire Davenport, Yarna was famously known as the "six-breasted dancer."
In the credits, she was literally just listed as "Fat Dancer." Kinda harsh, right? But the Star Wars "Legends" lore (the books and comics that came out before Disney took over) actually gave her a heart-wrenching story. Yarna wasn't just some random palace regular. She was a mother. She was dancing in that palace to earn enough credits to buy her children out of slavery.
Why Jabba Liked Her
There’s a weird bit of trivia here that usually shocks people. Jabba didn't just have Yarna there for variety. According to some of the older lore guides, she reminded him of his mother.
Now, if you’ve ever seen a Hutt, "motherly" isn't the first word that comes to mind. But Jabba had a twisted sense of sentimentality. Claire Davenport, who was a veteran character actress and appeared in everything from The Elephant Man to Fawlty Towers, brought a weirdly dignified energy to a role that could have just been a joke. She had to wear a massive prosthetic suit that was incredibly hot under the studio lights. It was a physical marathon just to stand there, let alone move to the beat of the Max Rebo Band.
The Special Edition Newcomers: Lyn Me and the "Jedi Rocks" Controversy
We have to talk about the elephant in the room. Or rather, the CGI singer in the room. In 1997, Lucas replaced the catchy "Lapti Nek" with "Jedi Rocks." Along with that came a trio of backup dancers: Lyn Me, Rystáll Sant, and Greeata Jendowanian.
Lyn Me, the white-skinned Twi'lek dancer, was played by Dalyn Chew. If you look closely at the "Jedi Rocks" sequence, Lyn Me is the one who seems obsessed with Boba Fett. She’s literally flirting with him in the background.
Dalyn Chew wasn't a career actress at the time; she eventually went on to become an ER nurse. It’s a wild career pivot—from dancing in Jabba’s palace to saving lives in a hospital. But that’s the magic of the Star Wars background cast. You never know who is under the prosthetics.
The Reality of Working with a Giant Puppet
Being a Jabba the Hutt dancer meant you weren't just acting against a green screen. You were acting against a massive, 2,000-pound puppet operated by three or four guys inside.
- The Strangulation Hazard: Femi Taylor has talked about how dangerous the chain actually was. Since the puppeteers inside Jabba had a very limited view through a tiny monitor, they couldn't always tell if Femi was moving. If they pulled Jabba’s arm back while she was mid-leap, that metal collar would snap tight. She almost got "strangled" more than once because of a lag in communication.
- The Smell: It’s a movie set, sure, but it was a movie set filled with smoke machines, sweaty actors in rubber suits, and a giant latex slug. It wasn't glamorous.
- The "Snootles" Factor: Working with Sy Snootles (the lead singer) in the original version meant interacting with a spindly puppet on a stick. In the Special Edition, the dancers had to eye-line a CGI character that wasn't actually there.
Why These Characters Still Matter
It sounds silly to care about a dancer who gets eaten five minutes into the movie. But Oola represents the stakes of Jabba's palace. Without her, Jabba is just a funny-looking puppet. With her, you see the cruelty. You see the fear.
The dancers are the "normal" element in a room full of monsters. They provide the scale. When Oola looks down into that pit and starts screaming, the audience finally realizes that Jabba isn't just a crime lord—he's a monster.
How to Spot the Details Next Time You Watch
If you're planning a rewatch, keep an eye out for these specific things:
- The Wardrobe Malfunction: During Oola's dance, there's a very famous (or infamous) frame where her costume slips. It's one of those "blink and you'll miss it" moments that has fueled message boards for decades.
- The Sweat: In the original 1983 cut, you can see the actual moisture on the actors. That wasn't just spray-on "movie sweat." Those Pinewood Studios sets were notoriously hot.
- The Eye Contact: Watch Lyn Me during the "Jedi Rocks" number. She is 100% focused on Boba Fett, ignoring the music entirely. It’s a great bit of character acting that adds a layer of "palace politics" to the scene.
Actionable Takeaways for Star Wars Fans
If you're a collector or a lore nerd, the "Jabba the Hutt dancer" world is a rabbit hole worth falling down.
- Track down "Tales from Jabba's Palace": This is an old anthology book. It contains "Skin Deep: The Fat Dancer's Tale," which gives Yarna a proper, beautiful ending where she escapes and finds her family. It's way better than just being an extra in a slug's palace.
- Look for the 2008 Legacy Collection Yarna Figure: For years, Hasbro refused to make a Yarna d’al’ Gargan action figure. When they finally did, it became a bit of a cult classic among collectors.
- Check out Femi Taylor’s convention appearances: She’s still active in the fan community. Hearing her talk about the "green paint life" in person is a reminder of how much physical labor went into the pre-CGI era of filmmaking.
The palace wasn't just a set. For the dancers, it was a high-stakes performance in a costume that tried to kill them, wearing paint that wouldn't let them sit down, all while standing next to a giant, stinking puppet. That’s the kind of dedication you just don't see as often anymore.