<P> Qui - Gon and Obi - Wan escort Amidala to Coruscant so that she can plead her people's case to Chancellor Valorum and the Galactic Senate . Qui - Gon asks the Jedi Council for permission to train Anakin as a Jedi, but the Council refuses, concerned that Anakin is vulnerable to the dark side . Undaunted, Qui - Gon vows to train Anakin himself . Meanwhile, Naboo's Senator Palpatine persuades Amidala to make a vote of no confidence in Valorum to elect a more capable chancellor to resolve the crisis on Naboo . Though she is successful in pushing for the vote, Amidala grows frustrated with the corruption in the Senate and decides to return to Naboo . Qui - Gon and Obi - Wan are ordered by the Jedi Council to accompany the queen to Naboo, as well as to confirm the return of the Sith, whom they believe to be extinct . </P> <P> On Naboo, Padmé reveals herself to the Gungans as Queen Amidala, and persuades them into an alliance against the Trade Federation . Jar Jar leads his people in a battle against the droid army while Padmé leads the hunt for Viceroy Gunray in Theed . During a battle in a starship hangar to free Naboo pilots, Anakin takes shelter in a vacant starfighter, and inadvertently triggers its autopilot, joining the battle against the Federation droid control ship in space . Anakin blunders into the hangar of the droid control ship and destroys the ship from within before escaping, deactivating the droid army . Meanwhile, Qui - Gon and Obi - Wan battle Darth Maul, who mortally wounds Qui - Gon, but is eventually bisected by Obi - Wan . As he dies, Qui - Gon requests that Obi - Wan train Anakin . Subsequently, Palpatine is elected as the new Supreme Chancellor, and Gunray is arrested . Yoda promotes Obi - Wan to the rank of Jedi Knight and reluctantly accepts Anakin as Obi - Wan's apprentice . Padmé presents a gift of appreciation and friendship to the Gungans at a festive ceremony . </P> <Ul> <Li> Liam Neeson as Qui - Gon Jinn, a Jedi Master who discovers Anakin and insists that the boy be trained as a Jedi despite the Jedi Council's protests . Lucas originally wanted to cast an American actor in the role, but cast Irishman Neeson because he considered that Neeson had great skills and presence . Lucas said Neeson was a "master actor, who the other actors will look up to, who has got the qualities of strength that the character demands". </Li> <Li> Ewan McGregor as Obi - Wan Kenobi, Qui - Gon's Jedi Padawan, who holds his master in high regard but questions his motives at times . McGregor was cast from a shortlist of fifty actors, all of whom had to be compared to pictures of young Alec Guinness, who portrayed the elderly Obi - Wan, to make a believable younger version . McGregor had a vocal coach to help his voice sound closer to Guinness' . He also studied several of Guinness' performances, from his early work and the Star Wars movies . </Li> <Li> Natalie Portman as Queen Padmé Amidala, the 14 - year - old Queen of Naboo, who hopes to protect her planet from a blockade invasion made by the Trade Federation . Over 200 actresses auditioned for the role . The Production notes stated; "The role required a young woman who could be believable as the ruler of that planet, but at the same time be vulnerable and open". Portman was chosen especially for her performances in Léon: The Professional (1994) and Beautiful Girls (1996), which impressed Lucas . He stated, "I was looking for someone who was young, strong, along the lines of Leia (and) Natalie embodied all those traits and more". Portman was unfamiliar with Star Wars before being cast, but was enthusiastic about being cast as a character she expected to become a role model . Portman said, "It was wonderful playing a young queen with so much power . I think it will be good for young women to see a strong woman of action who is also smart and a leader ." </Li> <Li> Jake Lloyd as Anakin Skywalker, a 9 - year - old slave boy and a skilled pilot who dreams of becoming a Jedi . Hundreds of actors were tested before the producers settled on Lloyd who Lucas considered met his requirements of "a good actor, enthusiastic and very energetic". Producer Rick McCallum said that Lloyd was "smart, mischievous and loves anything mechanical--just like Anakin ." </Li> <Li> Ian McDiarmid as Senator Palpatine / Darth Sidious, a Senator of Naboo who is eventually elected Chancellor of the Republic . McDiarmid was surprised when Lucas approached him 16 years after Return of the Jedi to reprise the role of Palpatine because he had assumed that a younger actor would play the part in the prequel films . </Li> <Li> Anthony Daniels voices C - 3PO, a protocol droid built by Anakin . He lacks a metal covering in this film; R2 - D2 refers to it as being "naked". A puppeteer dressed in a color closely matching the background--in a manner similar to the Japanese puppet theater Bunraku--manipulated a skeletal C - 3PO figure attached to his front while Daniels read his lines off - camera . The puppeteer was erased from the film during post-production . </Li> <Li> Kenny Baker as R2 - D2, an astromech droid that saves Queen Amidala's ship when other droids fail . Before the film's production started, fans campaigned on the Internet to retain Baker as R2 - D2; Lucas replied that the actor would remain . Baker is used for scenes where R2 - D2 bends forwards and backwards and wobbles from side to side . Robots and a digital model were used in other shots . </Li> <Li> Pernilla August as Shmi Skywalker, Anakin's mother, who is concerned for her son's future and allows him to leave with the Jedi . August, a veteran of Swedish cinema, was chosen after auditioning with Liam Neeson . She was afraid of being rejected because of her accent . </Li> <Li> Frank Oz voices Yoda, the centuries - old leader of the Jedi Council who is apprehensive about allowing Anakin to be trained . Yoda was mostly portrayed as a puppet designed by Nick Dudman based on Stuart Freeborn's original design . Oz controlled the puppet's mouth and other parts were controlled by puppeteers using remote controls . Lucas fitted Yoda's filming around Oz's schedule as he finished and promoted In & Out . A computer - generated Yoda is featured in two distant shots . Warwick Davis portrays him in the scene in which Obi - Wan becomes a Jedi Knight . Lucas said he originally wanted to use a full - time digital Yoda, but the attempts did not work well enough . On the Blu - ray release of The Phantom Menace, which was also used for the 3D reissue, a CG Yoda similar to the one from the other prequels is used instead . </Li> <Li> Ahmed Best as Jar Jar Binks, a clumsy Gungan exiled from his home and taken in by Qui - Gon and Obi - Wan . Best was hired after casting director Robin Gurland saw him on a Stomp performance in San Francisco . Best was originally intended to provide motion capture data but his offer to voice the character was accepted . On the set, to provide references for the actors, Best was clothed in a suit made of foam and latex and a headpiece . Best's filmed performance was later replaced with the computer - generated character . Best frequently improvised movements to make Jar Jar look as clumsy and comedic as possible . </Li> <Li> Oliver Ford Davies as Sio Bibble, the governor of Naboo . </Li> <Li> Hugh Quarshie as Captain Panaka, Queen Amidala's chief of security at Theed Palace . </Li> <Li> Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu, a high - ranking member of the Jedi Council who also opposes the training of Anakin . </Li> <Li> Ray Park as Darth Maul, Darth Sidious' Sith apprentice who uses a double - bladed lightsaber, while Peter Serafinowicz provides Maul's voice . </Li> <Li> Terence Stamp as Supreme Chancellor Valorum, the Chancellor of the Republic who commissions Obi - Wan and Qui - Gon to negotiate with the Trade Federation Viceroy . Lucas described the character as a "good man but he's beleaguered--a bit like (Bill) Clinton". </Li> <Li> Keira Knightley plays Sabé, one of Queen Amidala's handmaidens who serves as her decoy throughout the majority of the film . </Li> <Li> Silas Carson portrays Nute Gunray, the Viceroy of the Trade Federation who leads Naboo's invasion and tries to force Queen Amidala to sign a treaty to legitimize the occupation . Carson also portrays three minor characters: Jedi Master Ki - Adi - Mundi, Trade Federation Senator Lott Dod, and an ill - fated pilot (the role for which Carson originally auditioned). </Li> </Ul> <Li> Liam Neeson as Qui - Gon Jinn, a Jedi Master who discovers Anakin and insists that the boy be trained as a Jedi despite the Jedi Council's protests . Lucas originally wanted to cast an American actor in the role, but cast Irishman Neeson because he considered that Neeson had great skills and presence . Lucas said Neeson was a "master actor, who the other actors will look up to, who has got the qualities of strength that the character demands". </Li>

Who played in star wars the phantom menace
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