It is quite a significant feat to work with a company as big as Lucasfilm across 35 years. And Lynne Hale, Lucasfilm's head of PR, has done just that. But now, she has reached a point where she has decided that it is time to retire, as we have learned via The Hollywood Reporter.

For those who may not know, Lynne started working with Lucasfilm in 1986, a year that is significant in that it saw the cancellation of short-lived animated shows Star Wars: Droids and Star Wars: Ewoks. She was essentially brought in during what some consider the beginning of the "dark times" in terms of lack of Star Wars content, before there was a big boom after the release of the novel Heir to the Empire.

Hale's first major campaign in which she participated, however, was the marketing for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. At that time, she shared a behind-the-scenes video series on StarWars.com titled Lynne's Diaries. Fans also got to know her during the campaigns for subsequent films Episode II - Attack of the Clones and Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. According to Hale:

“George took a chance on me early in my career and gave me the opportunity to not only learn from a visionary filmmaker, but also from someone who cared very deeply about humanity. In addition to all the wonderful years of working on the Star Wars franchise, projects such as Red Tails and The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones will forever be a part of me. My bliss has always been connecting with people, so to be able to make lifelong friends with artists, writers, directors, actors, crew members, journalists, photographers and of course my PR family has meant the world to me.”

Hale also mentioned that the fans were a wonderful aspect of the job, and even went as far as trying to respond to every fan letter. Additionally, she oversaw interactions between actors and terminally ill kids who wanted to meet their favorite people from the screen. While these instances are not highly publicized as they take place, Hale cited Mark Hamill and Dee Bradley Baker as examples. The latter in particular sent recorded messages in-character as Captain Rex, telling a kid that "the clone troopers were with him as he was marching into battle for his bone marrow transplant." Many messages were sent from people associated with the franchise to children who needed something to brighten their days.

Current Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy had the following to say about Hale:

“I have had the joy of working with Lynne throughout her 35 years at Lucasfilm. Lynne has made many significant contributions to the company in so many areas, especially as Lucasfilm has grown and integrated with Disney. I’m really happy that Lynne will be able to pursue some of her dreams and enjoy the rewards of such a fulfilling career, but we will all miss her contagious smile and enthusiasm!”

Even George Lucas himself had something to say about Hale's work with the company:

“Across 35 years of working with her, I’ve never had a colleague more astute, collaborative and loyal than Lynne Hale. A good person through and through, she’s one of the mainstays of the Star Wars experience and went on to be a key player in Lucasfilm. I’ve valued Lynne’s sage advice and friendship and couldn’t be happier for her to be realizing her dream of seeking new challenges and adventures.”

It has been a long and rewarding job, and Hale has earned her retirement. We wish her well on whatever the future holds for her.

Source(s): The Hollywood Reporter

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