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Before becoming the most beloved archaeologist adventurer in fiction, Harrison Ford initially rose to stardom thanks to the role of Han Solo in the originalStar Warstrilogy. And while theIndiana JonesStar didn’t exactly enjoy being referred to as Han Solo for the major part of his career, he still remains grateful to the franchise, which kickstarted a new chapter in the realm of sci-fi.
However, the producers didn’t have a young Ford in mind from the get-go to tackle the iconic character, as they initially aimed to attach a big name to the project, which involved Al Pacino.
Also read:“I’ll never be on the same level as Harrison ever”: Helen Mirren Was Deeply Affected by Harrison Ford Craze The First Time They Shared the Screen Together
Al Pacino Rejected Han Solo Despite Being Offered Healthy Payday
Five years prior toStar Wars’debut,Al Pacinobecame one of the most renowned stars of the ’70s, following the success ofThe Godfatherand its sequel, often considered some of the greatest films ever made. So it’s not surprising why George Lucas and the studios were adamant about getting the actor onboard to kickstart the ambitious project. But as the story goes, the actor rejected the offer despite being offered a hefty payday. And the reasoning behind his rejection was quite similar to why Sir Sean Connery rejectedThe MatrixandLOTR, as he didn’t understand the script.
Joking about the matter at the London Palladium in 2013 (ViaEntertainment.ie), he said,
“I gave that boy [Bruce] a career. You know who else I gave a career to? Harrison Ford in ‘Star Wars’. That role was mine for the taking but I couldn’t understand the script.”
Although it’s reasonable to assume the Scarface Star too would’ve nailed the role, considering Han Solo kickstarted Harrison Ford’s ascend to the top, fans remain grateful for how things worked out.
Also read:“Harrison Ford is not a good name for you”: Indiana Jones Actor Came up With the Stupidest Idea After He Was Forced to Change His Name
Harrison Ford Wasn’t Initially Invested in Han Solo
WhileHarrison Fordreluctantly signed in for the entire trilogy, the Oscar-nominated Star wasn’t fully invested in his character from the get-go. TheWitnessStar explained that Han Solo was too flat as a character and was only there to support Luke Skywalker’s story, revealing that he wanted his character to be killed off after the first film. PerWestworld, Ford said,
“I thought Han Solo should die. I thought he ought to sacrifice himself for [Luke and Leia]. He’s got no mama. He’s got no papa. He’s got no future. He has no story responsibilities at this point. So let’s allow him to commit self-sacrifice.”
Also read:“I don’t want to be in his shadow”: Harrison Ford Needed to be Convinced to Work With Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive
Fortunately, that didn’t end up being the case, as the later entries witnessed a more thorough dive into the character of Han Solo, who became a fan-favorite of the iconic IP.
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hopeis currently streaming on Disney Plus.
Source:Entertainment.ie,Westworld
Santanu Roy
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2543
Santanu Roy is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on movies, with over 2,000 articles under his belt. He has been pursuing a degree in Animation and possesses a deep love for the medium of animation. Having spent the better part of the last two years pumping out articles for FW, Santanu excels at covering movie analysis and news surrounding Pixar, DCU, DreamWorks, and Batman’s cinematic legacy.With psychological thrillers and intimate slice-of-life dramas ranking among his favorite genres, Santanu is a big admirer of Luca Guadagnino, Shane Black, Park Chan-wook, and Brad Bird.
