Sebastian Shaw (29 May 1905 – 23 December 1994) was an English actor, director, novelist, playwright and poet. During his 65-year career, Shaw appeared in dozens of stage performances and more than 40 film and television productions.

Shaw was born and raised in Holt, Norfolk and made his acting debut at age eight at a London theatre. He studied acting at Gresham's School and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Although he worked primarily on the London stage, he made his Broadway debut in 1929, when he played one of the two murderers in Rope's End. He appeared in his first film, Caste, in 1930 and quickly began to create a name for himself in motion pictures. Nevertheless, he described himself as a "rotten actor" as a youth and admitted his success was primarily due to his good looks. He claimed to mature as a performer only after returning from service in the Royal Air Force during World War II.

Shaw was particularly known for his performances in William Shakespeare productions, which were considered daring and ahead of their time. In 1966, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he remain for a decade and delivered some of his most acclaimed performances. He also wrote several poems and a novel, The Christening, in 1975. He is perhaps most widely known for his brief but important performance in Return of the Jedi, the sixth film in the Star Wars franchise, in which he played Anakin Skywalker. Ten years after Shaw's death in 1994, his Return of the Jedi scenes were digitally altered in the 2004 DVD re-release; his image was removed altogether from the final scene, which proved to be one of the most controversial and unpopular changes among fans.

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