Hi guys. Just watched the dvd for the first time today. Gotta few questions...

1)Who's the actress that played the "fake" decoy white faced Queen Amadala? She looks an awefully lot like Natalie Portman...sisters?

2)Despite Padme's confession of being the real Q.A., I don't understand why everyone that was hanging around the fake one, and seemed to actually believe that it was really her. Even when Obi Wan, Qui Gon, and the rest of the small group were on their way to Naboo, they were speaking to the "decoy queen" as if they had no idea themselves that she was fake. Even her close bodyguard(the black guy) spoke to her like she was the real one. What was the deal with that? Why have a decoy? And why order Padme(the real queen) to clean up R2D2 and put her in danger by tagging along with Qui-gon and Jar-Jar to Tatooine(Anakin's home planet)? Explain

3)Anyone know who played Darth Maul? I really like his acting and thought he did a good job portraying a nasty bad guy.

I can take a stab at #3.

Ray Park (not to be confused with Ray Parker Jr.) played Darth Maul. He does stunts and martial arts and stuff.



He's the one on the left.

With regards to #2 and the real Queen issue, I think at least Qui-Gonn knew Padme was really the queen, and stuff, but I'm not sure. When I think about it, I get a headache, so I'll let someone else field that.

And I'm not certain who played the fake Padme for the few scenes when they were both there.

Ray Park also played Toad in "X-Men" and the Headless Horseman in "Sleepy Hollow" (well, I guess more of a stunt double for Christopher Walken).

Keira Knightley played the decoy.

It should be mentioned that Ray Park's voice was dubbed over by another more menacing sounding actor.
As far as the queen decoy thing, it was to protect the real queen. Padme is the most important person on Naboo, and she's in danger of being captured or assasinated. Padme's bodyguard poses as Padme so that if the decoy is killed, Padme is still in power, and the Trade Federation is foiled. Likewise, if the decoy is forced to sign the treaty, the document could not be legal. Captain Panaka and everyone else who knew the decoy's true identity, acted as if she were the queen, because they didn't dare risk the truth being leaked out. Also Panaka clearly doesn't trust the jedi. Having Padme clean up Artoo is just a ploy to make Padme seem more lowly and not bring too much attention to her. The reason Padme goes with Qui-Gon is simply because she wanted to. Her goal was to get to Coruscant and she probably went with Qui-gon to make sure he took care of things. Maybe she felt safer with a Jedi master. Also she's the queen; she can do what she wants. I do think Qui-Gon saw through her the whole time.
I hope that made sense.

good answer great jedi. I concur on all points. Also, when Padme finnaly reveals herself to the Gun-guns, if you look closely QuiGon flashes a glance at Obi-Wan that expresses "see, I knew it all along"

I still have one question. I thought that Natalie Portman played her own double. They just duplicated her with special effects a la The Parent Trap.

Keira Knightly played Sabe, the queen's decoy. She really looks a lot like Portman.
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isamu

in many of the scenes u describe it actually was natlie portman.... the "real" queen , thats why they didnt notice ..... if u look carefully enough u can tell the diff between the real queen and the decoy

the part where she orders the servent to take care of the droid.... it could have been the real queen , who later switched with the servent to clean the droid herself

as far as the capt of the guard not knowing ..... im sure he would have know, in fact he probably would have been in charge of the whole thing ... and was just keeping the cover 'real'

most of the scenes where the 'queen' interacts with the jedi are actually portman..... and u can tell by the way qui-gon talks to the 'servent' padme .... that he knows she is truely the queen

If Qui-Gon knows she is the queen, why does he say "paraphrased":
Padme: It's not a good idea to go to Tattoine. The Queen would not approve
Qui-Gon: The queen won't find out and she would approve anyway
Padme: You assume too much.

He's playing games with her. He knows she won't blow her cover, so he tweaks her a little. It might be just to subtlely let her know that he's on to her.

He's yanking her chain.

I'd like to tweak Natalie Portman too.