Stephen Costantino

A native of Hoboken, New Jersey, Stephen developed a passion for music at a young age, when he drew notice for playing guitar, singing & songwriting. It’s a pattern that has continued to this day.

Soon after moving to California in 1978, Stephen began studying martial arts in Los Angeles with Hugh Van Patten who introduced him to another young musician in one of his classes, Corey Dee Williams, son of the actor and painter Billy Dee Williams. They hit it off immediately and started a band they called Incognito.

Later it would reincarnate as Atmosphere. When Billy Dee was readying his character Lando Calrissian for movie “Return of the Jedi,” he asked Corey to be his stand-in when the film company went on location in Yuma, AZ.

Stephen was invited to come along so that he and Corey could continue to play and write music. Before long, Stephen was recruited for a part in the film; he was to portray a Gamorrean Guard in service to Jabba the Hut fighting Luke Skywalker in defense of his despicable master and the rest is history.