Ray Park may have played the fearsome Darth Maul in Star Wars but the British martial artist still feels starstruck alongside his fellow icons from the epic film series.

The menacing red-and-black face of evil warrior Maul glared out from posters around the world in 1999 when the 'Star Wars' films returned with 'The Phantom Menace' in a whirlwind of excitement.

But the man behind the make-up does not consider himself a film star and the muscle-bound Scot still feels in awe when meeting his fellow 'Star Wars' idols.

"I don't feel like a star," Park told AFP.

"I know we play these iconic characters but I do get starstruck sometimes with people I really respect because I love the movies so much that I can't take myself away and see them as normal people, these big icons on screen.

"I have met most of the actors apart from Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill from all of the 'Star Wars' films and I really feel very lucky to be able to do that, to be able to go up and say 'hi' and tell them how much I appreciate their work."

Park was at Star Wars Celebration Europe, a giant official convention in London marking 30 years since the six-film saga began. Tens of thousands of fans attended.

That Park has not met Hamill, who played the central character Luke Skywalker, seems odd.

The martial arts expert sat two seats away from him as the pair signed countless autographs for excited fans.

"I haven't met Mark yet. Sometimes it's a bit awkward to meet them when you're at these shows because they have such big lines and they have people around them. It's hard to go over there," the 32-year-old said.

The black-caped Maul is the fierce henchman of Palpatine, the evil Darth Sidious who becomes the tyrannical Emperor.

Wielding a double-bladed lightsabre, he battles Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) in an epic fight scene which many Star Wars fans agree is the most dazzling lightsabre fight in the entire saga.

Amid the choreography and Park's impressive display, Jinn is mortally wounded and Kenobi about to be killed, when the apprentice Jedi suprises Maul and slices him in two.

"It was a cool character for me to show my martial arts skills," Park said.

"As my first acting role, it would have been a dream come true to even get 30 seconds on screen.

"I have my moments when I am proud of myself for getting there. But I look at the pictures and I still don't believe it's me."

The martial artist is now squaring up to facing life forever being hero-worshipped for his part in the 'Star Wars' phenomenon.

"I think I accept it, I'm not too sure," he said.

"I didn't really know this was involved in taking on a part from 'Star Wars' — seeing how the fans dress up as Darth Maul and just the response from it, I had no idea it was going to be like this.

"I was very naive and maybe new to how the business works.

"I did it, I felt great playing the part; it wasn't until two years later that people started to go crazy over this movie, and that's when it hit me.

"People enjoy the work that I've done. I feel appreciated."

His appearance in 'The Phantom Menace' was followed by roles in films like 'Sleepy Hollow' (1999) and 'X-Men' (2000). He starts work on an action movie in August.

"I'm enjoying the exposure I'm getting," he said.

"Thanks to martial arts and 'Star Wars' I'm able to play these fun characters and travel the world."