The Only Major Actors Still Alive From THX 1138
Before "Star Wars," there was "THX 1138." A strange, dystopic science fiction movie packed with big ideas up to its eyeballs, "THX 1138" is now mostly known as the feature directorial debut of one George Walton Lucas Jr. (though it also came back in conversation when the best episode of "Andor" paid homage to it). The future Lucasfilm founder (he opened that company in 1971, just six months after this movie came out) originally created this story of repressed emotions and stymied sexuality as a student film, but by the time it was reimagined as a feature, it had gained backing from Warner Bros.
Lucas' American Zoetrope co-founder Francis Ford Coppola also had faith in the movie, and served as one of its producers. "THX 1138" starred Robert Duvall, then already known for his work on stage and television, not to mention in films like "To Kill A Mockingbird," "M*A*S*H," and "True Grit." Future "Halloween" actor Donald Pleasence co-starred, along with a then-unknown actress named Maggie McOmie. "The Dukes of Hazzard" actor Don Pedro Colley and frequent Rob Zombie collaborator Sid Haig also appeared. Of the film's main cast, only Duvall and McOmie are still with us today.
Robert Duvall (THX 1138)
While "THX 1138" was by no means a world-stopping hit, Duvall's career continued to grow in the years to follow. Just a year after playing the titular character in this film, he made one of his strongest cinematic impressions with "The Godfather," in which he portrayed Corleone family consigliere Tom. The role would land him the first of his seven Oscar nominations; he'd later earn nods for "Apocalypse Now," "The Great Santini," "The Apostle," "A Civil Action," and "The Judge," plus a win for 1984's "Tender Mercies."
Aside from his most decorated roles, Duvall has also appeared in classic films like "The Conversation," "Network," and "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." Most recently, some highlights of his filmography include Steve McQueen's cool 2018 thriller "Widows," the Adam Sandler-led basketball drama "Hustle," and Edgar Allen Poe story "The Pale Blue Eye." The latter film marks the last project the actor has appeared in to date, though he apparently has a project with Ed Harris in the works.
Interestingly, Duvall rarely appeared on TV shows after his first decades spent working in the medium. Aside from a handful of TV movies, his only small screen roles in the past six decades are in the political miniseries "Ike: The War Years" and the Western sagas "Lonesome Dove" and "Broken Trail." Outside of acting, Duvall has reportedly worked on charitable projects, including The Robert Duvall Children's Fund, which he co-founded in 2001.
Maggie McOmie (LUH 3417)
"THX 1138" remains actress Maggie McOmie's most memorable on-screen role to date. McOmie played a citizen of Lucas' dystopia named LUH 3417, who becomes romantically involved with Duvall's character after the pair stop taking their mandated emotion-suppressing medications. Since 1971, McOmie has appeared in a small handful of other roles, among them the 2006 thriller "The Boston Strangler," indie flick "Grand Junction" (out the same year), and a 1972 short film adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne's story "Young Goodman Brown."
According to her IMDb page, McOmie also has a role in the upcoming film "Beau Ideal," which is directed by actor and filmmaker Patrick D. Green ("First Cow," "Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City"). Details about the film are sparse so far, but Green shared an Instagram post in April indicating that the movie is currently in the post-production stages.
McOmie doesn't typically seem to give interviews, but she did write into the Los Angeles Times in 1992 to compliment a piece about Sigourney Weaver going bald for "Alien 3." She wrote, "As the lead actress in Lucas' visionary 'THX 1138,' I shared Weaver's excitement at being bald and 'out there' for science fiction." A short biography given at the time of writing noted that McOmie took years off from acting to raise her daughter, but was writing a screenplay at the time. Casting information available online indicates that in addition to screen acting, McOmie has performed on stage in plays like "Corialanus" and "The Bacchae." She was a member of the Portland Local Board of SAG-AFTRA for a period ending in 2019, where she liaised with other unions and helped coordinate the group's participation in the Portland Pride Parade, per the SAG-AFTRA website.