Deak

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Hailing from Anchorhead, Tatooine, Deak was a friend of Luke Skywalker during his early years, as well as Biggs Darklighter. Deak appeared briefly in Episode IV in a scene from the Anchorhead Story of Star Wars that was cut from the movie. In this scene, preserved in the novel, he is among a small group of friends that Luke Skywalker cavorts with at the Tosche Station, a local hangout in Anchorhead. Luke initially goes to this hangout to tell Fixer that he had just witnessed a starship battle that was visible in the afternoon sky. The Tosche Station is a trading post and repair station, primarily for agricultural-technology, and served as a meeting place for Anchorhead’s youth due to the fact that its owner, Merle Tosche, is seldom around. When Luke arrives, Deak is in the backroom playing computer-assisted pool with Biggs and Windy. Luke’s friends, especially Deak, are skeptical of his claim to have witnessed the starship battle (which had been, in actuality, the final battle of the Tantive IV). Upon hearing Luke’s claim, Deak says “C’mon, not again,” and refuses to leave behind his pool game to join Luke, Biggs, Fixer and Camie on the roof. Later, when Luke and Biggs are reminiscing in private, outside of Toschi Station, Luke recounts the details of a memorable T-16 Skyhopper race he had with Deak.

1 Character
2 Film Portrayal
3 Expanded Universe
4 Bibliography
5 External links

[edit] Character

Though the information is limited, some observations can be made regarding Deak’s character. His age is roughly equivalent to Luke Skywalker (though, Fixer is probably slightly older). – an age when most young people leave Tatooine to pursue opportunities that were unavailable on the desert planet. Instead, Deak spent his time at the Tosche Power Station, a trading post in Anchorhead, where he plays pool with Windy, instead of actually working. Tosche Station was a popular hangout for the local youth. The “carefree” nature of this hangout is reflected in the disapproving remarks that Owen Lars shares with his nephew, Luke Skywalker, regarding Luke’s desire to see his friends at Tosche Station. Within this setting Deak is a part of a small cast of characters who are otherwise known as Luke’s T-16 Skyhopper racing pals, including Fixer and Windy. These characters represent aimless youth, trapped in the daily malaise of life in the Outer Rim Territory – the very existence that the young Luke Skywalker longed to escape. Furthermore, Fixer represented a negative influence in Luke Skywalker’s life. His character is skeptical and complacent, serving as a foil to Luke’s optimism.

[edit] Film Portrayal

Jay Benedict played the role of Deak in Episode IV, opposite Koo Stark (Camie) and Anthony Forrest (Fixer). Benedict’s scenes, which were part of the Anchorhead Story of Star Wars, were cut from the original movie and never restored in any of the subsequent versions; though, they can be seen in the Star Wars: Behind the Magic CD-ROM Encyclopedia. In spite of this, the Anchorhead Story of Star Wars holds a certain mystique among many die-hard Star Wars fans. The scene focuses on Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), and offers a glimpse into his early life and associates on Tatooine. The scene also serves to introduce the character of Biggs Darklighter (played by Garrick Hagon), who appears later in the film as a doomed X-Wing fighter pilot in the Battle of Yavin. It is not known why George Lucas excluded the Tosche Power Station scene from the final cut of Star Wars – the scene was finely scripted and well acted (with strong jobs by Forrest, Koo Stark and Garrick Hagon). Lucas may have decided to minimize the number of youthful characters in the movie (which already included a teenage Carrie Fisher in the role of Princess Leia), in an attempt to avoid making what could have been considered an American Graffiti in space.

[edit] Expanded Universe

The character of Deak appears in the Star Wars Expanded Universe, due to his early association with Luke Skywalker. These appearances, though minor, begin with some of the first comic book adaptations of Star Wars, published by Marvel, in their storylines dealing with Luke’s origins.

Trivia

Jay Benedict, who played the role of Deak, also had a small part in another science-fiction classic, Aliens. Like Star Wars, this scene was cut from the original theater-release; however, it was restored in the special-edition director’s cut of Aliens. Benedict played the part of Russ Jorden, Newt’s father, and the discoverer (and first victim) of the Alien brood.