Marcia Lucas, the Oscar-winning film editor who helped shape the original 'Star Wars' trilogy and was the first wife of filmmaker George Lucas, has died. She was 80.
According to multiple news reports, Lucas died on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in Rancho Mirage, California, after a battle with cancer. Her death was confirmed by family members.
Lucas won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing in 1978 for her work on 'Star Wars' (later retitled 'Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope'). She also edited 'American Graffiti' (1973) and 'Return of the Jedi' (1983), and served as an uncredited editor on 'The Empire Strikes Back' (1980). Her contributions to the 'Star Wars' saga were widely praised for establishing the film's iconic pacing and emotional beats.
Born Marcia Griffin on October 4, 1945, in Modesto, California, she married George Lucas in 1969. The couple divorced in 1983. In later years, she lived a private life in California.
