Star Wars is home to compelling and exciting characters like Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, just to name a few. However, the monumental franchise is also no stranger to wacky antics from their behind-the-scenes crew. As a result, this led to some fascinating moments that have earned the admiration of fans over the years.
As such, one of the famous instances that inspired discussion (and a good laugh) from fans is the presence of "pink shorts boom guy" from Star Wars: A New Hope . It all started when a behind-the-scenes image of the boom operator surfaced from the Star Wars archives back in 2015 where it showed the crew member only wearing pink shorts, black socks, and brown work boots when filming a pivotal scene involving Luke, Obi-Wan, C3PO, and a bunch of stormtroopers.
As a result, the aforementioned crew member quickly rose to fame, ultimately leading to numerous cosplay inspirations from fans all over the world. ABC shared an exclusive report last year that unveiled the name of the boom operator as Ken Nightingall. In the interview, Nightingall admitted that he decided to don the short-shorts as “it was very, very hot” while filming a particular scene from A New Hope in the Tunisian desert. Nightingall died on May 21, 2020, at his home in the United Kingdom at the age of 92.
Now, it seems that the tradition of the pink shorts has been carried over to The Mandalorian Season 2.
NEWS
Twitter user Patrick Cotnoir pointed out that a certain boom operator from the Disney Gallery special of The Mandalorian Season 2 paid tribute to Ken Nightingall or much better known as “pink shorts boom guy” from Star Wars: A New Hope by wearing similar-colored short-shorts.
This shot was taken from the recently-released Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian special for Season 2.
Throughout its sophomore run, The Mandalorian delivered a plethora of Easter eggs for fans to uncover, but it appears that the crew member had a similar agenda in mind by paying homage to an iconic boom operator from the Star Wars franchise's past. In a way, this is a fitting tribute to Nightingall as it keeps his spirit alive even in the new era of Star Wars.
The clothing choice of Nightingall might be unusual and hilarious for some, but many would agree that it's his own way of showing off his dedication to the craft of filming. After all, working for Star Wars should be noted as a tremendous opportunity, and this is one example of how past crew members do what it takes to deliver an impressive film.
The Mandalorian is clearly focused on utilizing The Volume for principal photography, but, as evident by this boom operator to pay tribute to Nightingall, there were still numerous scenes filmed using blue screen and in the outdoors. Not much is known if this will be a one-time thing, but one hope that this fun continues on future Star Wars sets.
