Star Wars crew member Ken Nightingall, who died on Tuesday at the age of 92, may not have been as well known as stars like Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher. Nightingall has served as a boom microphone operator for several films, but is best known for a photo taken when he held a microphone in Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977. It was not the scene itself that made Nightingall famous, but his clothing: he was shirtless and wore pink shorts, black socks and brown work boots.
“Unfortunately, Ken Nightingall passed away last night,” reported a tweet from the Association of Motion Picture Sound on Thursday. “Ken was a boom operator, he worked on several Bond films and was the famous ‘Pink Shorts’ boom op for original Star Wars. Other credits include Alfie, Funeral in Berlin, The Boys from Brazil and Supergirl was a legend! “
Unfortunately, Ken Nightingall passed away last night. Ken was a boom operator, he worked on several #Binding Films and was the famous “Pink Shorts” boom op on original #War of stars.
Other credits include Alfie, Funeral in Berlin, The Boys from Brazil and Supergirl. He was a legend! pic.twitter.com/8Sv6ArRecZ– AMPS (@AMPS_UK) May 20, 2020
Ken Nightingall: Star Wars’ legendary boom operator and “Pink Shorts Boom Guy” are dying – Mirror Online Glad to see that Ken and Boom are recognized in the wider press https://t.co/4yLftkUA9y
– AMPS (@AMPS_UK) May 21, 2020
The pink shorts photo behind the scenes went viral after a fan posted it on Reddit in 2015 with the headline “The next time you see Star Wars, remember that all of the dialogue you hear was recorded by a man in pink shorts.”
According to an interview with ABC News in 2019, Nightingall was entertained by his late fame and the fact that some Star Wars fans even played at conventions when he was there.
“I think it’s very nice,” said Nightingall, who was 90 at the time. “They seem to like it. Good for them.”
The short films were more than justified, he recalled when the Tatooine scenes were shot in a sultry Tunisia.
“It was very, very hot,” Nightingall told ABC.
Nightingall has worked on dozens of films during his career. According to the deadlinehe is survived by his wife and two children. His son Terence followed his father to Hollywood and is a cinematographer and director in Los Angeles.
Nightingall is not the only Star Wars veteran with an unusual kind of short-term fame captured while working on the original film. British actor Michael Leader, who died in 2016, will be remembered as the one forever Stormtrooper who has turned his head in a notorious scene.