Dork Side of the Force
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30 iconic Star Wars roles that almost went to different actors

By Maggie Lovitt

Joaquin Phoenix, Elizabeth Olsen and Tessa Thompson. Composite: Dork Side of the Force.
Joaquin Phoenix, Elizabeth Olsen and Tessa Thompson. Composite: Dork Side of the Force. /
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When you think about your favorite Star Wars character, it’s probably hard for you to imagine any other actor bringing that role to life. Harrison Ford simply is Han Solo. There is no one else who could pull off Kylo Ren like Adam Driver. No one else could possibly embody Obi-Wan Kenobi like Ewan McGregor. Carrie Fisher will always be our Princess Leia. In reality, a lot of people auditioned for those roles and a number of the most iconic Star Wars performances almost went to entirely different actors.

In show business, when it comes down to the final choices for a character, sometimes the director’s second or third pick ends up in the role due to scheduling conflicts, contract disputes, or actors deciding not to take the role in the end. It’s fun to envision how differently things may have been if any other actor had landed in a key role in Star Wars. After all, the fandom loves a good alternate universe. Would people have entirely different “ships” if two different actors had appeared as those characters on their screens?

Grab a bowl of popcorn and let’s take a look back at 30 actors who auditioned for famous Star Wars roles.

30 Star Wars roles that almost went to different actors

LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 23: Tom Holland attends the UK Premiere Of Disney And Pixar’s “Onward” at The Curzon Mayfair on February 23, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Disney)
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 23: Tom Holland attends the UK Premiere Of Disney And Pixar’s “Onward” at The Curzon Mayfair on February 23, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Disney) /

1. Finn (Tom Holland)

During an interview with Backstage, Marvel’s beloved Spider-Man actor revealed that he had auditioned for the role of Finn for The Force Awakens. With the upcoming release of Chaos Walking, we know that Daisy Ridley and Tom Holland work well together on screen, but it is really hard to imagine a fresh-faced teenaged Tom Holland auditioning for the role back in early 2014. If you don’t believe me, just take a look at his audition tapes and screen tests with Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans for Captain America: Civil War, which would’ve been filmed at some point in 2015.

In the interview, Holland states that he was “four or five auditions in,” which suggests that he was close to the top for consideration for the role. While he may have lost out on the role due to not being able to keep a straight face while reading with “BB-8,” things worked out for the best for all of us. Star Wars booked John Boyega to play Finn and Marvel fans were treated to Tom Holland’s absolutely incredible portrayal of the web-slinger Peter Parker. While Boyega is only four years older than Holland, he brings a level of maturity to the stormtrooper-turned-hero that may not have existed with a Holland-portrayed Finn.

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