A long time ago in the Grassmarket - not so far away, a Star Wars actor opened a pizzeria.
As we celebrate Star Wars Day, some may choose to enjoy a movie marathon - but you could pay tribute to the movie series with a trip to Mamma’s. The popular Grassmarket eatery was first opened in 1985 by Angus MacInnes, eight years after Star Wars IV: A New Hope premiered.
In the film Angus starred as Jon Vander, the leader of the Gold Squadron. The character was part of a rebel attack which successfully destroyed the Death Star, though he did not survive.
His fate in the battle over the Death Star meant he couldn’t return for the sequels, though the timeline in 2016 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story meant Vander was once again on our screens through archive footage and newly recorded audio. Back here on earth, the actors' Edinburgh pizzeria is currently run by a husband and wife team.
Paul and Cait met while working in Mamma’s in the 90s, while Angus was starring in films such as Eyes Wide Shut and Judge Dredd. The Canadian actor currently lives in Edinburgh, and continues to work in show business.
In 2015, Mamma’s celebrated their 30th birthday with a Star Wars themed party which included pizzas such as Ham Solo, Cheese-3-PO, and Darth Veggie. Anyone who came long dressed in Star Wars attire also received a mysterious movie treat.
Angus told STV in 2016: “It is sort of a test on reality, but after it I just reached that point in my life where I needed a change. It was an adventure a long time ago.
“It’s a bit of a legacy to be honest. We came back to the UK in 1985 with the intention of opening a restaurant.
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“By Christmas we had done all the work and opened it. My wife ran and I ran it for nine years.”
Though he was only on screen for a few minutes in the Star Wars films, the actor has enjoyed decades of adoration from the film's fans. In 2016 he starred in Elstree 1976, a feature-length documentary about the London shoot of the legendary film.
Speaking to the Daily Record at the time, he said: “I couldn’t believe it. I was a real science-fiction guy and I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.
When it came to his home city of Edinburgh, he added: “This place is beautiful. Mind you, the weather is rubbish.”
Edinburgh, Star Wars, and food seem to have a strong connection. In 2014, Edinburgh chef Tom Kitchin smoked out the cast of Star Wars: The Force Awakens after causing a fire on the set of John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen.
With both productions housed in the Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, Tom was prepping hay-smoked lamb ahead of the weekend programme before setting off fire alarms through the entire complex.
After his lamb smoked a little too much, the whole building was evacuated. Clearly the accident didn’t cause too many issues, with the film premiering the following year and raking in over $2billion.
