The man who spoke the iconic line – “It”s a trap!” – as Admiral Ackbar in Return of the Jedi has died. Voice actor and radio drama producer Erik Bauersfeld died at his home on Sunday morning.
In addition to voicing the Rebel Alliance commander, Bauersfeld also lent his voice to Bib Fortuna, one of Jabba the Hutt”s henchmen. Bauersfeld reprised his role as Ackbar for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
A statement from Coolwaters Productions confirmed the news of his passing:
“Actor Erik Bauersfeld, known by Star Wars fans around globe as the voice of Admiral Ackbar, has passed away,” the statement said. “His passing comes at the age of 93 and the cause was natural causes. Erik will be deeply missed by his family here at Coolwaters and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”
Bauersfeld got the part of Ackbar when Star Wars sound designer Ben Burtt showed the voice actor a picture of the character, and Bauersfeld created the sound for Ackbar on the spot.
“I saw his face, and I knew what he must sound like,” he said in a 2012 interview.
Among Bauersfeld”s radio producing credits is The Black Mass, a horror-fantasy radio drama that featured readings of stories by such writers as Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, and Virginia Woolf. It aired during the 1960s in Berkeley, CA, Los Angeles, and New York. His work led Bauersfeld to being credited with keeping alive the tradition of American radio drama.