Star Wars actor dead at 84 following lengthy illness

Richard Donat was a celebrated Canadian actor who starred in the Star Wars spinoff Ewoks, as well as the supernatural drama Haven

6 days agoApr 14, 2026, 11:57 PM GMT+1

Share this:

Star Wars actor Richard Donat passed away aged 84, after a long and successful career on the stage and on the screen. The star, who was the voice of Deej in the '80s Star Wars series Ewoks, died on Saturday, March 28, surrounded by his longtime partner, Maggie Thomas, and their sons Owen and Morgan Donat.

Richard was a celebrated Canadian actor who hailed from Nova Scotia on the country's east coast and graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada in 1967.

He found success on the stage with roles in In the Jungle of the Cities, Fool For Love and Driving Miss Daisy. Richard's onscreen credits include Tomorrow Never Comes, My American Cousin, The Weight of Water, Death Weekend, Gas, The Event and Amelia.

richard donat young — Richard died surrounded by his loved ones in late March

He voiced an Ewok in the '80s animated series Star Wars: Ewoks, which followed the adventures of Wicket and his friends on the forest moon of Endor. The show ran for two seasons on ABC before coming to an end.

One of Richard's more notable roles was that of Vince Teagues in the supernatural drama Haven, which aired between 2010 and 2015 and filmed in his hometown of Nova Scotia.

"I have always lived here, and then this show comes along, and suddenly your life is changed," he told Media Mikes in 2012. "It is quite extraordinary, really." The series was loosely based on Stephen King's 2005 mystery novel The Colorado Kid.

richard donat — He starred in the '80s series Ewoks

Richard hailed from a famous family, with his uncle being the late great Robert Donat and his brother being soap star Peter Donat. Robert rose to fame thanks to projects like The Count of Monte Cristo, The 39 Steps and Goodbye, Mr Chips, the latter of which won him the Best Actor Oscar in 1940.

Meanwhile, Peter starred in the '80s soap opera Flamingo Road and followed this up with a role in the '90s sci-fi series The X Files. Peter passed away in 2018 from diabetes-related complications, while Robert died in 1958 at just 53 from a brain tumor.

robert donat the 39 steps — His uncle Robert was a celebrated actor

Richard is survived by his partner, Maggie Thomas, their sons, and their four grandchildren.

richard donat speaking — Richard suffered from an unnamed illness for two years

"A passionate gardener, a loving and supportive partner, a devoted father and an extremely proud grandfather of Charlize, Nadia, Mira and Taran. He will be missed, but his presence will always be with us. He was a good man," read the funeral home's tribute.

Richard battled an unnamed illness for the final two years of his life and received treatment at the South Shore Regional Hospital. The family asked for donations to the hospital in his memory, as "the staff at the hospital have been so very kind and caring, supportive to both Maggie and Richard".