You may be wondering which Star Wars legend I’m talking about here. Luke Skywalker? Darth Vader? Revan? Chewbacca? Could it even be Rey? The answer is none of the above. I’m talking about a legend so grand you’ll be rubbing your head both before AND after you see who it is. This character has sparked so much debate it will make your head hurt. You can count him among the greats. He will forever have his place in the hallowed halls of Star Wars lore like Pink Shorts Boom Guy, and that great Cloud City confectioner, Willrow Hood. Yes, today we talk about the hard-hitting, Razzy-worthy portrayal of the Head-Banging Stormtrooper!

Who says Storm Troopers can't hit anything? head-banging storm trooper
Who says Storm Troopers can’t hit anything?

Who was that masked man?

“On the second day of filming, I developed an upset stomach. By mid-morning I had paid three to four visits to the loo (bathroom). Having re-dressed myself and returned to the set, I felt the need to rush back to the gents’ toilets, but I was placed in [the] shot. On about the fourth take, as I shuffled along, I felt my stomach rumbling, and “bang,” I hit my head! As I wasn’t moving too fast, it was more of a scuffed bash, so it didn’t hurt, but as no one shouted “cut,” I thought the shot wasn’t wide enough for me to be in frame.”

Episode IV: A New Hope Stormtrooper actor Laurie Goode
Star Wars legend; Stormtrooper

Musician and actor Laurence “Laurie” Goode is currently claims credit for portraying our noggin’ knockin’ stormtrooper. He’s spoken numerous times about the circumstances that lead to the best blooper in Star Wars history. He even wrote a song about it. The title Who Was The Stormtrooper Who Banged His Head!? (of course!) released via iTunes on January 22nd, 2016, being the actor’s pop debut single at the age of 70. To the contrary, there are other actors claiming it was them. But…. All current indicators point to Laurie getting his bell rung. Some fans, however, are skeptical. Therefore the debate rages harder than Rey’s parentage.

Enter Jamie Stangroom. Writer, Podcaster, YouTuber and fimmaker of the upcoming crowd-funded documentary, The Empire Strikes Door.

The Empire Strikes… Door? Documentary to reveal identity of Star Wars Legend

In this YouTube film, Jamie hunts down all the different actors and interviews them in an attempt to discover who the trooper really was. The best part is the trailer has the feel of finality, like Episode IX. In a way, it really is a finality. A blooper from the film that started the whole saga became a Star Wars Legend, and it we will finally have this great mystery solved once and for all. Stangroom and his motley crew of truth-seekers claim definitively that they have discovered who the *real* actor was that bonked his skull.

Jamie Stangroom investigates in The Empire Strikes Door. Photo via YouTube
Jamie Stangroom investigates in The Empire Strikes Door. Photo via YouTube

“To be honest, I’m not sure that I really believed I could come close to solving this, I felt like it was resigned to being listed with the likes of Loch Ness Monster, the Yeti, and Bigfoot. But I now genuinely believe that the conclusion we’ve come to is the correct one.”

Jamie Stangroom to SyFy Wire

On that jury sits a panel of Star Wars experts hell-bent on finding out the truth behind the Star Wars legend. Rendering the verdict will be the likes of Kevin Smith, Chris Jericho, Ahmed Best, Noel Gallagher, Greg Grunberg and finally the late Gary Kurtz will weigh in. Check out the trailer below:

The Empire Strikes Door documentary is scheduled to air on YouTube September 25th. Will we will finally know the answer to this burning Star Wars legend question? Or does the mystery deepen even further? Tune in to find out, and stick with That Hashtag Show for all your pop culture news!

Sources: SyFy, CinemaBlend