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Ian McElhinney. Actor: Hamlet. Ian McElhinney is a Northern Irish actor and director best known for his roles as General Dodonna in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Val-El in Krypton, and as Ser Barristan Selmy in the HBO series, Game of Thrones. Over a career spanning more than thirty years, McElhinney has accumulated a number of credits for film ...
- January 1, 1
- 1.81 m
- Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
Ian McElhinney (born August 19, 1948) is an actor from Northern Ireland who portrayed General Jan Dodonna in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. He is also notable for playing Barristan Selmy in the HBO series Game of Thrones, where he acts opposite fellow Star Wars actor Emilia Clarke, which his character ends up serving. Ian McElhinney on Wikipedia Ian McElhinney at the Internet Movie Database
Ian McElhinney. Actor: Hamlet. Ian McElhinney is a Northern Irish actor and director best known for his roles as General Dodonna in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Val-El in Krypton, and as Ser Barristan Selmy in the HBO series, Game of Thrones. Over a career spanning more than thirty years, McElhinney has accumulated a number of credits for film and television including roles in Hornblower ...
- August 19, 1948
Ian McElhinney (born 30 June 1948) is a Northern Irish actor and director. ... Rogue One: A Star Wars Story: General Jan Dodonna Sacrifice: D.I. McKie 2017
YearFilmRole2024Sam Dryson2023Elderly Joe Rantz2023Tom Malcolmson2023- Overview
- Biography
- Personality and traits
- Behind the scenes
- Notes and references
"Oh, Skywalker. You cannot understand the responsibility of high command. It is easy to advise, but the decision is not yours. It is one thing to sacrifice yourself. To sacrifice others is something else entirely…"
―Jan Dodonna
Jan Dodonna was a legendary male human military officer from Commenor who served with the navy of the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars, within the navy of the Galactic Empire, and later, as a general in the rebellion against the Galactic Empire. Commanding the Massassi Group, one of the largest cells in Senator Bail Organa's resistance movement, elements of his cell were instrumental in the formal formation and declaration of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Dodonna became part of the Alliance High Command, leading the Alliance's Sector Command, as well as the military leader of the Rebel Alliance's hidden fortress on Yavin 4. In this capacity, he formulated the plan that led to the successful Battle of Yavin and the destruction of the Death Star superweapon.
Following the Battle of Yavin, Dodonna along his fellow Rebels evacuated from Yavin 4 in search of a new base of operations. He then joined the Alliance Fleet and helped the rest of the Alliance High Command to oversee the war effort. A year later, Dodonna was stationed at the Mako-Ta Space Docks along with the remainder of the High Command and Alliance Fleet, where he commanded the MC80A Home One Type Heavy Star Cruiser Republic. However, an attack by the Empire's Death Squadron ensued following Queen Trios' betrayal, which had devastating consequences for the Alliance. Not desiring to risk any more lives, Dodonna ordered the Republic to remain hidden, but Luke Skywalker convinced him to return to Mako-Ta and rescue the surviving Rebel forces. Ultimately, Dodonna gave his life to ensure the survival of the remaining elements of the Alliance Fleet and the survivors of Alliance High Command when the Super Star Destroyer Executor's turbolasers destroyed the Republic.
Service in the Republic and the Empire
A human male from the planet Commenor, born in 65 BBY, Jan Dodonna served in the naval forces of the Galactic Republic during the conflict known as the Clone Wars, where he served as a bridge officer on the Venator-class Star Destroyer Guardian. After the Republic's transition into the Galactic Empire, Dodonna continued his service into the Imperial Navy, where, for outstanding service, he became one of the first captains of an Imperial Star Destroyer. However, as time went on, Dodonna would become disillusioned with the Empire, and, soon after, he defected to the growing rebellion.
Early rebellion
The rebellion in the early years of the Empire was made up of a loose collection of rebel cells secretly coordinated by Imperial Senator Bail Organa. By 5 BBY, Dodonna had risen to command one of these teams of rebels, the Massassi Group, in his fight against the Empire. Leevan Tenza was a member of this group, however an incident where he disobeyed orders and preemptively engaged an Imperial target led to his court-martial and defection to Saw Gerrera's Partisans.
Galactic Civil War
"We have orders to deliver these bombers to General Dodonna's unit. They're part of a wider rebellion we're working to build." ―Hera Syndulla, referring to the Y-wing bombers stolen by the Phoenix rebel cell By 2 BBY, Dodonna commanded one of the largest rebel cells in the entire rebellion, based on Yavin 4, the fourth moon of Yavin, in the Gordian Reach. In this year, elements of Phoenix Cell, which also operated as part of the rebel network, managed to steal five antiquated BTL-A4 Y-wing assault starfighter/bombers from an Imperial salvage yard in order to deliver them to Dodonna and his unit. The Y-wings eventually made their way to the group's starfighter auxiliary, Gold Squadron, led by Captain Jon "Dutch" Vander. Gold Squadron was later assigned to escort the fugitive Senator Mon Mothma, branded a traitor by the Empire and forced to flee from Chandrila, to a rendezvous at Dantooine. Later, General Dodonna along with Senator Bail Organa and several rebel personnel listened to a live HoloNet broadcast by the former Senator denouncing the Empire and urging the galaxy to rise up in rebellion, which eventually led to the formation of the Alliance to Restore the Republic.
"General Dodonna is known for his courage. He wouldn't be aboard the first vessel to flee."
―Grand Admiral Thrawn on Dodonna, during the battle of Atollon
Jan Dodonna was a human man with white hair, blue eyes, and light skin. Prior to his career as General in the Alliance to Restore the Republic, Dodonna served in the Republic Navy during the Clone Wars. Though initially one of the first captains in the Imperial Navy and a veteran of the Clone Wars, Dodonna became disillusioned with the Galactic Empire and joined the growing rebellion, thereby becoming a firm believer of the rebel cause.
An incisive and wise strategist with calm demeanor, Dodonna came up with the attack strategy that eventually let Luke Skywalker destroy the Death Star and saving millions of lives. After the Battle of Yavin, Dodonna became too concerned about Princess Leia Organa's safety to the point that he refused to let her assist in the scouting for a new base given the placed bounty on her head by the Empire, even leading him to dispatch Skywalker and Wedge Antilles to retrieve her. By the time of the Battle of Vrogas Vas, Dodonna recognized the threat Darth Vader represent for the Alliance, reason for which he proposed more dramatic measures.
Jan Dodonna was played by Alex McCrindle in the 1977 Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, the first installment of the Star Wars original trilogy. Dodonna later appeared in the 2016 Star Wars Anthology film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, where he was portrayed by Ian McElhinney. He was voiced by Michael Bell in four episodes of Star Wars Rebels.
In George Lucas' first draft for A New Hope, a Sith knight character known as "Valorum" was renamed "Dodona," as Lucas considered, in that draft alone, renaming the Starkiller family to the "Valor" family, thus the names conflicted. "Dodona" was one of the few names in that draft that reappeared in the second draft, when it was definitively assigned to a Rebel general on Yavin 4, thus creating the character of Jan Dodonna.
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1.Star Wars: Dawn of Rebellion: The Visual Guide states that Dodonna was 64 years old in 1 BBY, placing his birth to 65 BBY.
3.General Dodonna in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link)
5.Star Wars: Episode IV 6.Star Wars (2015) 54
11.Star Wars (2015) 55
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Ian McElhinney (born 19 August 1948) played Ko Sharmus in the Doctor Who television stories Ascension of the Cybermen and The Timeless Children. In 2016, he appeared in the Star Wars film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story as General Jan Dodonna, an experience which he had stated as being "frustrating". Ian McElhinney at the Internet Movie Database Official Twitter account Ian McElhinney at ...
Ian McElhinney (born August 19, 1948) is an Irish actor and director who portrayed General Dodonna in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
