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For many Star Wars enthusiasts, 1978’s Star Wars Holiday Special marked a low point in the franchise. However, for others, the real embarrassment came in Halloween 2009 when a supposedly harmless NBC Today show segment was overtaken by a rowdy group of Ewoks, who may or may not have been intoxicated. The infamous footage, often labeled as 'drunk Ewoks,' has been widely shared online.
Amanda Kinsey, the Today segment producer, clarifies that the Ewoks were not actually drunk. "That’s what went viral," she says in an interview with Mytour. "I believe someone may have joked about it on set, and it ended up in the media." Nonetheless, there was a production glitch that resulted in a memorable moment where Al Roker's leg became the target of an unexpected Ewok encounter on live TV.
The awkward moment, which aired on October 30, 2009, was part of a Star Wars-themed episode of the Today show, created in collaboration with Lucasfilm. The company provided an X-wing, along with real props like blasters and lightsabers. In this particular segment, uploaded to YouTube for future generations to enjoy, co-hosts Al Roker, Ann Curry, and Natalie Morales attempted to guide lifestyle expert Evette Rios through various Halloween decorating tips. Roker appeared as Han Solo, Curry as Darth Vader, and Morales as Queen Amidala, while two performers dressed as Ewoks, the bear-like warriors from Endor who battle the Empire in 1983’s Return of the Jedi, completed the scene.
Things quickly spiral out of control. As Rios showcases some simple decorating ideas, one Ewok defaces a printed Yoda image before tossing the marker aside. Meanwhile, a second Ewok pretends to sip a martini. Moments later, one of them throws a hot dog wrapped in a crescent roll at Rios.
As one Ewok reaches for another sip of the vodka cocktail, Curry takes the glass away. In response, the Ewok starts moonwalking before suddenly dry-humping Roker’s leg. (Roker declined to comment when contacted.) The segment concludes with the most audacious Ewok simulating sexual activity on the floor.
The headline of a Vulture article read, 'Al Roker Humped by Drunk Moonwalking Ewok'; The Hollywood Reporter proclaimed, ‘‘Drunk’ Ewoks Disrupt NBC’s Today Show.’ A few days later, the term Ewoking—used to describe a person dressed as an Ewok while sliding backward—was added to the Urban Dictionary.
Jim Bell, an executive producer for Today from 2005 to 2012, shared with Mytour, "There were rumors in the control room that they may have had a few adult beverages that morning. We're dealing with live television. It's four hours long. Things happen. And they certainly did there. Occasionally, a segment might derail, and that one definitely did."
However, Kinsey explains that the performers—hired by Lucasfilm—weren’t actually intoxicated. One of the actors had been a last-minute replacement. “The one who took charge, I recall, wasn’t someone Lucasfilm had worked with before,” she reveals. “The usual person was unavailable, and this new actor got caught up in the live television excitement.”
Bell acknowledges that the performers made the most of their moment in the spotlight. 'From the Ewok perspective, which is one I always try to keep in mind, it’s like: What can I get away with now?' he says. 'The Ewoks were testing their limits. Luckily, the segment ended naturally before things got too out of hand.'
BrownFuzz23 via YouTubeEven though the Ewoks went off-script in a big way, Bell says they never seriously considered cutting the segment. 'You get to a point where you’re laughing, thinking, wait a minute, what's going on here? We might need some guardrails,' he recalls. 'But it wrapped up pretty quickly, and I think it stayed within a PG rating.'
'We probably thought, okay, it’s fine, they’re just dancing around,' Bell continued. 'They weren’t wearing microphones, so we didn’t worry about anything being said. They were just doing Ewok dances. And really, Ewoks are festive creatures.'
Indeed, they are. As stated in J.W. Rinzler’s 2013 book, The Making of Return of the Jedi, crew members on set would always knock before entering the Ewok dressing room, as the actors 'might be going at it like jackrabbits.'
While the identities of the performers on Today remain unclear, and whether any consequences were faced for their takeover of the segment is unknown, the entire chaotic scene is definitely worth revisiting around the holidays. In the realm of scandalous Star Wars blunders, it stands alongside the infamous Topps C-3PO trading card that appears to feature robot genitalia.
Bell, for his part, was impressed by the Ewok’s moonwalk, although he had one small caveat: 'Not to take anything away from the Ewok's skills, but I think the [slippery] leaves might have helped.'
