Chancellor Valorum

In "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace", Senator Palpatine / Darth Sidious (Ian McDiarmid), then Senator of Naboo fakes concern about Naboo's blockade and plots his way to become Supreme Chancellor. He does this by advising Queen Amidala to call for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum. Seeing no alternative, the Queen takes this advice when she addresses the Senate and paves the way for Palpatine to become Chancellor.

The outgoing Chancellor Finis Valorum was played by Terence Stamp, most recently seen in "Yes Man (2008)" as inspirational guru Terrence Bundley who convinces Jim Carrey's character Carl Allen to stop being a "No Man" and to answer "YES" to everything. You might remember Terence Stamp as Kryptonian super-villain General Zod in Richard Donner's "Superman (1978)" which starred Christopher Reeve (man! it would be nice to have a 1/6 figure of this particular Superman, now that Hot Toys have done the Man of Steel played by Brandon Routh). Stamp went on to reprise his role as General Zod in the sequel "Superman II (1980)", directed by Richard Lester.

I like how George Lucas came up with the name for Valorum. He is "Finis" - ha! ha! Notice how the Senate Guard is blue and Royal Guard is red, just like the Blues & Royals and Life Guards of the Household Cavalry.

This 1/6 scale 12-inch Chancellor Valorum was part of a two-pack set together with the Coruscant Senate Guard, released in 1999 by Hasbro Kenner.