Keira Knightley's parents tried to convince her not to audition, but the twelve-year-old actress still sought a role, given she was a Star Wars fan.
During filming, Ewan McGregor made lightsaber noises as he dueled. George Lucas explained many times that the sound effects would be added in by the special effects people later on. Ewan said "I kept getting carried away."
Ewan McGregor recalled that his performance in the film consisted of "walking into rooms and looking up".
Sets were built only as high as the tops of the actors' heads, and computer graphics filled in the rest. Liam Neeson was so tall that he cost the set crew an extra $150,000 in construction.
Warwick Davis: Davis, who played Wicket in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), is sitting next to Watto during the pod race scene. He also plays Anakin's friend Wald, a Rodian child.
Nathan Hamill: Mark Hamill's son portrays a law clerk in Naboo identified as Rehtul Minnau. He would later appear in Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017) as a Resistance member named Saile Minnau, implying that he is a descendant of his previous character.
John Knoll: The visual effects supervisor at Industrial Light & Magic plays the Naboo pilot who gets killed during the space battle with the Trade Federation. It happens after Ric Olié says "The deflector shield is too strong."
Rick McCallum: The producer appears on the right, in a floppy wide-brim hat, when Queen Amidala meets Senator Palpatine.
George Lucas: [1138] The Droid smashed by Jar Jar Binks during the battle has serial number 1138 on his back. THX 1138 (1971) was Lucas's first film and starred Robert Duvall.