They can be found in countless children’s rooms and are also extremely popular with numerous adults: LEGO sets that immortalize movies and series in a playful way. But whose movie and TV roles most often became LEGO minifigures?
Long before “The LEGO Movie,” Danish sticky bricks and pop culture formed a close bond: for decades, hits, potential blockbusters and cult favorites have become LEGO sets. And no matter how complex or simple a LEGO set may be, for quite a few children and the young at heart, minifigures are the true stars of a LEGO kit.
The little figurines as we know them today were introduced in 1978 and have not only imitated almost every imaginable profession that can be represented in family-friendly form: There are hundreds of minifigures based on movie and series characters. Thus, they became a kind of popularity gauge:
Stars who star in many successful projects, after all, can hardly avoid having their roles undergo a LEGO transformation. Naturally, people like Harrison Ford come to mind, who created two screen icons in Indiana Jones and Han Solo – who are, of course, available as official LEGO minifigures.
On par with Ford are, among others, Pedro Pascal, recreated as “The Mandalorian” title character and “Wonder Woman 1984” villain Maxwell Lord, and Chris Hemsworth, whose Marvel hero Thor and “Ghostbusters” sidekick Kevin are part of the LEGO family. Cate Blanchett and Johnny Depp, for example, bring the total to as many as three roles that have become minifigures.
Johnny Depp, photographed by Robert Wilson in 2006, as part of Wilson’s series of “Voom Portraits”. Here, Wilson is using Depp to tribute a photograph of Rrose Sélavy (pseudonym of Marcel Duchamp). Marcel Duchamp was a French-American painter and object artist.JohnnyDepp pic.twitter. com/yaKEy28jKS
– Nic✌☠️✌ (@NicoleH9916) October 17, 2023
Blanchett became a minifigure as the villain from “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” as well as “Thor – Judgment Day” and as “Lord of the Rings” Elf Galadriel. Depp, meanwhile, as Captain Jack Sparrow, Tonto from “Lone Ranger” and as Gellert Grindelwald from “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. “
CHRIS PRATT AND SAMUEL L. JACKSON SUCCEEDED “THE DOUBLE HARRISON FORD “
Having two or three roles on your resume that are available as LEGO minifigures is a cinch, though: some stars have made it to four, including Samuel L. Jackson and Chris Pratt.
Their LEGO success secret: they also put themselves behind the mic for animated films, which then get the LEGO treatment. For Jackson, you can put on your shelf as Mace Windu from the “Star Wars” prequels, as Marvel hero Nick Fury and in his “Jurassic Park” role Ray Arnold – as well as Frozone from the “The Incredibles” movies. Pratt, meanwhile, struts his stuff through the LEGO cosmos as Star-Lord from “Guardians Of The Galaxy,” Owen Grady from “Jurassic World,” Emmet Brickowski from “The LEGO Movie” and as Rex Dangervest from “The LEGO Movie 2. “
But a Warwick Davis can only laugh wearily at that! Born in 1970, the Briton was immortalized in LEGO form as Professor Filius Flitwick from the “Harry Potter” cosmos – and as four “Star Wars” characters at once: as Ewok Wicket, Anakin Skywalker’s childhood friend Forest, droid DD-BD and smuggler Weazel.
THE KING OF LEGO MINIFIGURES
But even Warwick Davis can’t match the record holder for most roles that became a minifigure: That honor goes to Dee Bradley Baker with over a dozen performances that served as templates for LEGO minifigures.
These include the flying lemur Momo from “Avatar – The Lord of the Elements” and the crocodile from “Jake and the Neverland Pirates,” but above all “Star Wars” creations. For example, fan favorites Captain Rex, Commander Cody and Commander Fox from “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.” The complete list of his LEGO minifigures and all the stars who inspired several LEGO minifigures can be found at Brickset.
It should come as no surprise that “Star Wars” plays such a big role in this theme: since its launch in 1999, “LEGO Star Wars” has been one of the most popular themed worlds in the Danish company’s portfolio. More than 910 kits have already been launched – and since the current contract between LEGO and Lucasfilm runs until 2032, the 1,000 mark is sure to be cracked. Perhaps with even more minifigures based on series and film roles played by Dee Bradley Baker?
