Hollywood actors who rejected roles in the Star Wars films

THEY could have ventured in to a galaxy far away — but the force wasn’t with these actors, who turned down a part in Star Wars.

THEY were called on to venture in to a galaxy far, far away, but the force wasn’t with these Hollywood stars who turned down parts in Star Wars.

See who turned down roles in the two trilogies created by George Lucas before J.J. Abrams brought us Star Wars: The Force Awakens:

ANAKIN SKYWALKER

Leonardo Di Caprio has revealed that he rejected the role of Anakin Skywalker and confirmed he met with George Lucas to discuss taking the role in Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith. The part went to Hayden Christensen.

“I did have a meeting with George Lucas about that, yes,” he said. “I just didn’t feel ready to take that dive. At that point.”

Actor Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker.

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio said no to George Lucas.

LUKE SKYWALKER

Before Mark Hamill got the role, William Katt auditioned for the part of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. He auditioned alongside Kurt Russell who was reading for the part of Han Solo. Video of their audition together has been on YouTube.

As an actor and director, Katt went on to star in The Greatest American Hero.

Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker.

Actor William Katt in Greatest American Hero.

HAN SOLO

Kurt Russell was just one of a few actors who were approached for the role of Han Solo. Al Pacino also turned down the role after he said he did not understand the script. Sylvester Stallone was asked by a fan to confirm that he was asked and he replied: “Yes as a matter of fact I did and it didn’t meet with much approval since when I stood in front of George Lucas he didn’t look at me once.” Nick Nolte and Christopher Walken all passed on the role which went to Harrison Ford. one of his auditions is also on YouTube.

Harrison Ford rightfully as Han Solo.

Not a fan ... Al Pacino didn’t get it.

LANDO CALRISSIAN

Actor Glynn Turman was approached for the role of Lando Calrissian, Han Solo’s friend who was also a smuggler, from Cloud City. Turman, who was previously married to Aretha Franklin, went on to other projects during his career with parts in The Wire, House of Lies and he won an Emmy Award in 2008 as Guest Actor in a Drama Series for In Treatment, a series on HBO. Bill Dee Williams eventually picked up the part.

Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian and Harrison Ford as Han Solo.

Glynn Turman auditioned for the role. Picture: YouTube

PRINCESS LEIA

Laverne & Shirley star Cindy Williams was up for the role of Princess Leia Organa until Carrie Fisher auditioned and Lucas had found his star female in Debbie Reynolds’ daughter. Fisher beat a whole list of Hollywood actresses to the role including Sissy Spacek, Farrah Fawcett, Glenn Close, Jessica Lange, Meryl Streep, Sigourney Weaver, Cybill Shepherd, Jane Seymour, Anjelica Huston, Kim Basinger, Kathleen Turner and Geena Davis.

Williams’ audition is also on YouTube.

Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia Organa.

Cindy Williams of Laverne and Shirley fame with co-star Penny Marshall.

YODA

The fight for who would be cast as Yoda was a fairly tame one. While Jim Henson was the first to be asked to voice Jedi Yoda, his busy schedule meant he couldn’t commit to the role. So he passed it on to his colleague Frank Oz, who worked with him on The Muppet Show.

Yoda who was played by Frank Oz.

Jim Henson with the Muppets.

OBI WAN KENOBI

Toshiro Mifune, the actor and star of several Akira Kurosawa films including Seven Samurai, Yojimbo and Rashomon, rejected the roles of Obi Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader. His daughter Mika said: “I heard from my father that he was offered the role of Obi Wan Kenobi, but he was concerned about how the film would look and that it would cheapen the image of samurai, on which George Lucas had based a lot of the character and fighting style.”

Lucas wanted Mifune in part of Star Wars but it wasn’t to be. The role went to Sir Alec Guinness. “At the time, sci-fi movies still looked quite cheap as the effects were not advanced and he had a lot of samurai pride. So then, there was talk about him taking the Darth Vader role as his face would be covered, but in the end he turned that down too,” Mifune said.

Sir Alec Guinness in scene from film Star Wars.

Toshiro Mifune who rejected the role of Obi Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader.

MASTER MACE WINDU

At some point before his death, Tupac Shakur reportedly auditioned to play Jedi Master Mace Windu in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Rick Clifford, who worked as an engineer at Death Row Records, said that Shakur told him he went for a reading with George Lucas but that the part went to Samuel L. Jackson, Rolling Stone reports. Clifford said: “Pac found out that I worked for Brian Austin Green, who was on 90210, then he found out I [worked on] some movies, so we always talked about his film career and stuff,” Clifford said. “He was telling me that he was supposed to read for George Lucas and them. They wanted him to be a Jedi. I’m serious. Samuel L. [Jackson] got Tupac’s part. [Tupac] said [to me], ‘Old man, keep your fingers crossed.’ He said, ‘I’ve got three movies coming up. One of them, I’ve got to read for George Lucas.’”

Actor Samuel L. Jackson in character as Jedi Master Mace Windu.

Tupac Shakur, who reportedly auditioned.

DARTH MAUL

Renowned movie gangster Benicio Del Toro, who starred in The Usual Suspects and Sicario more recently, was originally hired to play the evil sith, Darth Maul. But George Lucas decided to cut Maul’s lines from the film, Del Toro left the film. Stuntman Ray Park then took over the role in the prequels.

Ray Park starred as Darth Maul.

Benicio Del Toro in a scene from Sicario.

DARTH VADER

David Prowse portrayed Darth Vader under the mask, and James Earl Jones became the iconic voice of Vader. But Orson Welles the cinematic giant of Citizen Kane, The Third Man and, Transformers: The Movie, was also in contention for the role of being Darth Vader’s voice. Toshiro Mifune also turned down playing Vader.

Darth Vader in a scene from The Empire Strikes Back.

Orson Welles in Citizen Kane.

KYLO REN

Before Adam Driver was cast as the villain in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, IMDB’s Star Wars Trivia reports that Michael Fassbender and Hugo Weaving were considered for the role.

Adam Driver as Kylo Ren with his lightsaber.

Actor Hugo Weaving was reportedly considered for the role. Picture: Nicole Cleary

REY

Elizabeth Olsen, Jennifer Lawrence and Shailene Woodley were considered for the role of Rey, which went to Daisy Ridley. Olsen refused the audition because she had a contract with Marvel Studios for the role of Scarlet Witch in the Avengers’ franchise and because the shoot dates for The Force Awakens clashed with Age of Ultron. In April 2014, J.J. Abrams chose Ridley as Rey.

Daisy Ridley as Rey in The Force Awakens.

Scarlet Witch (played by Elizabeth Olsen) in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Originally published as Hollywood actors who rejected roles in the Star Wars films