Denis Stamper Lawson (born September 27, 1947) is a Scottish actor. He is best known for his roles as Wedge Antilles in the original Star Wars trilogy and as Gordon Urquhart in the film Local Hero.
Lawson was born in Crieff, Perth and Kinross, the son of Phyllis Neno (née Stamper), who sold sweets, and Laurence Lawson, a watchmaker and Glasgow native. Lawson was educated at Crieff Primary School (then called Crieff Public School) then, after the 11 plus examination, went on to Morrison's Academy, which at that time took non fee paying pupils as well as fee paying day pupils and boarders, and at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. His sister, Carol Diane McGregor, is a retired teacher who still lives in Perthshire. She is the mother of actor Ewan McGregor and now serves as his personal assistant. She has a cameo in Shallow Grave. In 1979, Lawson had a child, Jamie, with actress Diane Fletcher, with whom he had a seven-year relationship after meeting in a stage production of Twelfth Night. He met his wife, Sheila Gish, on the set of the 1985 film That Uncertain Feeling. They lived together for nearly 20 years before marrying in March 2004 (Antigua) ; she died of cancer a year later (March 9, 2005). Her daughter from a previous marriage, Lou Gish, also succumbed to cancer in 2006.
Lawson began his acting career with a small role in a 1969 stage production of The Metamorphosis in London's West End. and has since starred in television dramas such as Rock Follies (1976), Dead Head (1986). He played X-wing pilot Wedge Antilles in all three original Star Wars movies, and later reprised the role, in voiceover form, for the Nintendo GameCube game Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 2. He has appeared often on the West End stage, most notably in 527-show 1983-1984 run of the musical Mr. Cinders at the Fortune Theatre. In 1999, he directed a production of "Little Malcolm & His Struggle Against the Eunuchs" - first at the Hampstead Theatre before transferring to the Comedy Theatre in London's West End. The production starred his nephew Ewan McGregor in the lead role of Malcolm Scrawdyke
He recently appeared on an episode of "Loose Ends" hosted by Ned Sherrin on BBC Radio 4 (December 10, 2005), during which his cell phone rang. In 2005, he played the leading role of John Jarndyce in the critically acclaimed BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens' Bleak House, receiving an Emmy nomination. As a joke, George Lucas asked him to play the role of Raymus Antilles (who is in no way related to Wedge) in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. However, Lawson declined.
In 2007, he portrayed Peter Syme in the BBC One drama serial Jekyll, a modern version of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Lawson also appeared as Captain "Dreadnought" Foster in one of ITV's dramatisations of C.S. Forester's Hornblower - The second episode in the series, "The Examination for Lieutenant". He recently appeared in the BBC adaptation of Robin Hood, in episode six, For England!, in which he played the Sheriff of Winchester.
