- Born
- Height4′ (1.22 m)
- Arti Shah is an accomplished actress and motivational speaker with over a decade of experience in the entertainment industry. Renowned as one of the finest in creature performance, Arti has become a leading figure in the world of character FX (CFX), bringing life to countless fantastical beings through her work with prosthetics, movement reference, and motion capture.
A core part of the creature team behind the Disney-era Star Wars films, Arti has played a vital role in shaping some of the most memorable aliens and droids of the franchise. Her expertise has seen her working closely with the animatics and visual effects departments in seamless sync ensuring each creature not only moves convincingly, but feels truly alive. Her scale motion capture performance brought Maz Kanata to life in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and she has continued to portray numerous other iconic creatures across the saga.
Her credits also include providing scale movement reference for Rocket Raccoon in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 alongside Sean Gunn, as well as the goblin who eyes the heroes in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, the female alien in Attack the Block, and the goblin singer in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Most recently, she worked on Paddington in Peru, serving as a movement reference for Paddington Bear with the second unit, and contributing her performance to Framestore in post-production to help digitally animate the beloved character.
In addition to her extensive creature and stunt work, Arti has a diverse screen portfolio spanning television and film. She has become a beloved and consistent presence within the Lucasfilm family, while also building a respected career as a motivational speaker. Arti regularly speaks at schools, universities, and major organisations about the importance of diversity and inclusion an issue deeply personal to her. She hopes to inspire her young son, and a new generation, by showing that being different is not just okay it’s powerful, and that with belief and determination, anything is possible.
- IMDb mini biography by: Arti Shah
- SpouseRutvig Vaid(September 10, 2016 - present) (1 child)
- She was considered to play R2-D2 in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015). However, following a test, it was discovered that she was too tall for the costume.
- Though not a qualified Meteorologist, she is a trained weather presenter.
- Was featured extensively on the 2012 Paralympic Opening Ceremony and performed as an aerialist again during the Rhianna Umbrella sequence. This time, Shah was only 20ft in the air, compared to the Greenwich Festival where she performed at 30ft in the air.
- Has worked on every live action, UK based Star Wars production in the Disney era, bar Solo. She was asked to join the team but couldn't due to having recently given birth to her son.
- During the end credits of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, a still of the line-up scene from Vol. 1 is shown on screen during the credit roll, marking a sort of 'cameo' appearance of Arti Shah's Rocket (scale double). She has gone on to talk about how she suffered from impostor syndrome being in the line-up with A-listers.
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