On May 14, the father of "Star Wars" George Lucas turned 80 years old. He was born in Modesto, California in 1944 to Dorothy Eleanor Lucas and his namesake father.
Graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1967 and enrolled in graduate studies in film production that same year.
Finds a job teaching documentary filmmaking to students before turning to directing short films. "Electronic Maze: THX-1138 4EB" earned him honors as well as a scholarship to study at Warner Bros.
As much as he is known for his storytelling and directing, his direction and involvement in Industrial Light and Magic has forever linked him to cinematic innovation and imagination.
His characters seem to be inspired by aspects of his own life and personality. American Graffiti is said to have been inspired by Lucas' childhood in Modesto, and the drag racing subplot of the challenge between John Milner and Bob Falfa recalls an aspect of his teenage years. George Lucas may never have flown through the trench of the Death Star or threaded the stone needle into Beggar’s Canyon, but he was an avid racer who gave up his high-speed antics after a serious car accident.
Among his many philanthropic contributions are educational. He donated over $100 million to his university to expand the film school, created the George Lucas Educational Foundation, and donated millions to After School Matters with his current wife, Melody Hobson. He has also lobbied the United States Congress to promote greater educational opportunities through technology.
Finally, he is known for his relationship with his children. In a 2015 interview with Charlie Rose, he said he wanted every obituary to mention something extremely important to him:
„I was a great father – or tried.“ - George Lucas
There are pictures of him on the set of “Star Wars” with his daughter Amanda, but if you look them up, you can see Amanda, Katie, and Jet appearing in small roles throughout the trilogy. Katie also followed in his footsteps by writing several episodes of The Clone Wars, including some of the most important episodes of Asajj Ventress.
In 2013, George and Melody had a daughter, Everest, through a surrogate mother.