Who is Nien Nunb ? Why does he look like a pile of pancakes?
With the cameo appearance of Nien in The Force Awakens as an X-Wing pilot, we thought it might be an opportune time to quickly visit the character.
Most fans will recognise Numb as Lando’s co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon in Return of the Jedi – but do they know his name? It's never said in Jedi! Or TFA!
Nien is almost like a Salcacious Crumb kind of character – seemingly fun and amusing but the view is left wondering about the fellow – what’s that language he speaks to Lando for example?
Numb’s back story is that of a smuggler so it perhaps makes sense he found himself on one of the most famous smuggling ships of all.
Expanded Universe tales suggests that he and Lando became friends well before the Jedi time frame and then when Lando was planning his assault on the Death Star II he recognised his old pal in a line up of pilots and selected him.
Nien Nunb was actually a puppet which was operated by two puppeteers, Mike Quinn and Richard Bonehill.
He was voiced by Kipsand Rotich who used his Kenyan language, Haya and also Kikuyu. This was for both Jedi and TFA - the later film required some serious tracking down of Rotich so he could record his part!
Billy Dee Williams nicked named Nien Nunb as 'The Pancake Kid' as his face looks like a pile of the breakfast food!