Darth Maul cancels appearance at Sci-Fi Expo

By D'Arcy Doran

Toronto Star Entertainment Reporter

Ray Park, the actor who plays Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode One: The Phantom Menace, has succumbed to the dark side, cancelling his appearance at the Canadian National Science-Fiction Expo in Toronto this weekend.

In the past month, the 24-year-old has cancelled several autograph signing appearances in the U.K., including one in Glasgow, where he was born. Park recently dumped his U.K. agent for one in Los Angeles, who doesn't believe comic book conventions are the fastest track to Hollywood's A-list.

``His new agents have told him they don't want him doing these appearances because he won't become a big Hollywood star if he does,'' said Aman Gupta, who organized this weekend's sci-fi convention at the Metro Convention Centre.

Darth Maul is the Phantom Menace's most popular character. The novel of the movie, with his face on the cover, has outsold the three other covers.

Gupta said Park has not returned the money he was paid in May when his previous agent signed a contract committing Park to appear alongside fellow Star Wars thespians, Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Warwick Davis (Wicket, the Ewok), and the Incredible Hulk, Lou Ferrigno. The poster for the Toronto convention shows Park in his Darth Maul makeup behind another guest, Jerri Ryan, who plays Seven of Nine in Star Trek: Voyageur.

Park even appeared in a brief promotional video. ``Hi, I'm Ray Park who plays Darth Maul in the new Phantom Menace Star Wars movie,'' he says in the video, filmed in May, pointing at the camera and giving a sinister glare. ``This is to all Canadian fans, I will see you in August.''

On one poster he signed ``Hey, See you in Toronto.''

In the contract, Park agreed to appear this Friday, Saturday and Sunday for an undisclosed fee, a round trip ticket from Manchester to Toronto, three nights in a hotel and the right to charge fans for photos and autographs.

A month ago, Park came under fire after the London Sun newspaper reported he was charging children 15 pounds ($36) per autograph on a promotional tour for The Phantom Menace. While co-stars such as Ewan MacGregor signed autographs for free, the Sun reported Park's signature has netted him at least 15,000 pounds.

Darth Maul hardly speaks in Phantom Menace and Park's voice was dubbed over when he does.

The former European martial arts champion's movie career started after the stunt co-ordinator for Mortal Combat 2 spotted him working out in a London Gym and cast him as a stunt double. Since Star Wars, he has been cast as a headless horseman's stunt double in Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow and he will play the supervillain, the Toad, in the forthcoming X-Men movie, which starts filming in Toronto next month.

Unless Park changes his mind, Gupta's lawyers plan to greet him on the X-Men set.

``I will have a lawsuit prepared and waiting to serve on him,'' Gupta's lawyer, Jeffrey W. Kramer, wrote in a letter to Park's agent.

Park is vacationing in Greece, on the Island of Rhodes, until Sept. 3.

His L.A. based agent, Jason Gutman, didn't return five phone calls from The Star yesterday.

About this site
Webmaster