Steve Speirs is a Welsh actor who played Captain Gregar Typho’s counterpart on Naboo, Captain Tarpals, the gruff leader of Naboo’s security forces, in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, contributing to the prequel trilogy’s depiction of Naboo’s local defence forces during the Trade Federation’s invasion. Speirs has built an extensive career across British film and television beyond his Star Wars role, including an appearance in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and a notable connection to Doctor Who, having appeared in the two-part story “Aliens of London” and “World War Three” during the Ninth Doctor’s era.
His combination of appearances across two major British and international science-fiction franchises reflects a career built substantially within genre film and television, alongside a broader range of British drama and comedy credits. Speirs’ performance as Captain Tarpals, though a supporting role within the wider prequel trilogy, remains a recognisable part of Star Wars’ depiction of Naboo’s own military forces, distinct from the Jedi and Republic characters more central to the saga’s main storyline.
He remains a respected and versatile presence within British genre television and film.
