Harrison Ford has played some iconic roles in his career, from Indiana Jones to Rick Deckard.
But it’s Han Solo that I want to talk about today.
George Lucas struck gold when he cast Ford in the role of the lovable scoundrel and yet it turns out that Ford originally wasn’t even in the running.
Yes, that sent a shudder through my spine.
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Ford was involved in A New Hope in the days of its earliest inception, but it wasn’t because he’d been cast as Solo.
Instead, Ford was used as a reader in auditions.
As reported by Slash Film, Lucas had worked with Ford on American Graffiti and brought in the actor to aid in the audition process.
Ford would read opposite auditioning actors who were trying for roles like Leia and Luke.
At the time, Ford wasn’t the household name we know him to be today which may explain why he wasn’t in the running.
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Ford did such a good job during the readings though that Lucas and producers took note, eventually realising that they may have already found their Han Solo.
“And I shot the screen tests, and you know, when you watch the screen tests of him playing the role and the other actors who were up for the role playing the role, there was just no question about who was the best. And, you know, so I hired him for Star Wars,” Lucas explained.
It’s strange to think about how the film would’ve felt had another actor appeared in the role.
Ford defined Han Solo, a character that continues to have a legacy in the franchise today.
As a bonus tidbit, Ford wasn’t the first choice for Indiana Jones either.
That was Tom Selleck but the actor was too busy to sign on due to his commitments to the TV series Magnum P.I.
The world works in mysterious ways but Ford’s unconventional path led him to cementing his place in cinematic history not once, but twice.
Topics: Star Wars, TV And Film, Disney