Trivia

Of the three directors to direct the Star Wars films made between 1977 and 1983, the cast and crew have stated that he was their favorite director to work with, describing him as very helpful and supportive.

Kershner had been one of George Lucas' instructors in college. At first, he turned down the opportunity to direct Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), but his agent convinced him to take the job.

Kershner provided the voice of Darth Vader himself in the temporary mix of Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), before James Earl Jones recorded the final version.

While he was directing Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)--the first Star Wars film to feature the character Yoda--he earned the nickname "Kersh". He was also filming "Empire" at the same studio Stanley Kubrick was using to film The Shining (1980). Stephen King was on the set and met Kershner. Years later, King wrote his novel "It" which features a character named Mrs. Kersh, who sounds like Yoda.

To date (2010), only American to direct a James Bond movie--Never Say Never Again (1983)--though the film itself is technically not considered a "true" Bond film. Kershner first directed Sean Connery in A Fine Madness (1966) 17 years earlier.

He was awarded the 1981 Saturn Award for Best Director in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980). Shortly before his death, he was awarded the Lifetime Career Award at the 2010 Saturn Awards.

Directed the only Star Wars film to use someone other than Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine. The voice he used was Clive Revill, with whom Kershner had previously worked in A Fine Madness (1966)

He has directed one film that has been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980).

Retired from filmmaking after completing the television series SeaQuest 2032 (1993).

Kershner had projects that he was going to be involved within the late 1970s and early 1980s. He signed on to direct an adaptation of "I, Robot" from a screenplay by Harlan Ellison, which was never filmed.

He directed sequels in two different science fiction film series: Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)--the second "Star Wars" film--and RoboCop 2 (1990).

He was the only man to direct a Star Wars, James Bond and RoboCop movie.

Member of the 'Official Competition' jury at the 16th Tokyo International Film Festival in 2003.

Partners, with Andrew J. Fenady and Nick Adams, in Fen-Ker-Ada Inc., a television production company.

Kershner was initially hired by producers Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown to direct an adaptation of Eric Van Lustbader's novel "The Ninja" from screenplays by W.D. Richter, Tom Cole, even Kershner scripted a draft himself, but his involvement with the project eventually never got into the pre-production stages.

Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume Two, 1945-1985". New York: The H.W. Wilson Company (1988).