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
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.
2. Anakin Skywalker (Leonardo DiCaprio)
Think back to the premiere of Attack of the Clones in 2002 and try to recall who some of the hottest names in showbiz at the time. Did you think of Leonardo DiCaprio? Just a few years prior, Titanic had won the Academy Award for Best Picture and Leo had become a household name. He was also considered for the role of Anakin Skywalker.
Like for any role, George Lucas considered hundreds of actors to portray the older version of Jake Lloyd’s Anakin Skywalker. Unsurprisingly, Lucas considered unknown actors (like Hayden Christensen) and big-name celebrities (like DiCaprio) to bring to life the early years of Darth Vader’s tragic downfall.
Back in 2015, DiCaprio revealed in an interview that he had met with Lucas for the role, but ultimately decided he wasn’t ready to take on a role like that. Based on the interview, it seems like DiCaprio was hesitant to take on superhero or sci-fi roles, which have a long history of being disregarded by serious Oscar-contenders. Instead, DiCaprio went on to star in Gangs of New York and Catch Me If You Can. While it may be hard to imagine anyone other than Hayden Christensen in the role, you have to admit that DiCaprio would have made a fantastic Anakin.
3. Rey, Qi’ra (Jessica Henwick)
You may recognize Jessica Henwick in her role as X-Wing pilot Jessika Pava in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a character which became a fan favorite despite her limited screentime. But did you know she auditioned for the role of Rey? Before Daisy Ridley was chosen to portray the character, Henwick was also a front runner to bring Rey to life.
In an interview, Henwick discussed the six-month audition process which culminated in director J.J. Abrams offering to write her a small role, despite not booking the starring role. In the interview, Henwick stated that she “was a mess at the end of those six months.” She also expressed interest to have Jessika return for The Rise of Skywalker, but she was not included in the final film.
Allegedly, a few years after her audition for Rey, Henwick was also in the running to play Qi’ra in Solo: A Star Wars Story, but fellow Game of Thrones alum Emilia Clarke won the role.
Had Henwick been chosen to play Rey, it would have been a major win for diversity in the Star Wars universe. Something that fans frequently discuss when reflecting on this “almost” moment in the franchise.
4. Han Solo (Taron Egerton)
Before it was Alden Ehrenreich, it could have been Taron Egerton starring in the infamous role of Han Solo in Solo: A Star Wars Story. The BAFTA Award-winning actor, best known for his role as Eggsy in the Kingsman franchise (where he starred opposite The Mandalorian’s Pedro Pascal in the second film), was in the running to play as the younger incarnation of the beloved smuggler.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Egerton said, “I didn’t go to the last audition. Because it didn’t feel right to me. To be honest, I think it was always going to be Alden’s part.” You have to give him a lot of credit for walking away from an opportunity like starring in a Star Wars film. But sometimes it’s the best for everyone involved when an actor recognizes that a role does not feel right for them, long before the actual filming process begins.
Rather than take on the role of Han Solo and star in the admittedly poorly received Solo: A Star Wars Story, Egerton went on to star as a different kind of thief in Lionsgate’s Robin Hood. We’ll let you decide whether that was a wise choice for Egerton.
5. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Hugh Jackman)
As you might imagine, George Lucas went through a lengthy audition process to find the right person to portray the younger version of Alec Guinness’ Obi-Wan Kenobi before he settled upon Ewan McGregor. Production for The Phantom Menace began in June of 1997, so all one has to do is think back to all of the popular actors in the early 2000s to picture who may have been considered for the role.
Did Hugh Jackman pop into your mind? Well, if he did, then you would have guessed one of the many men who auditioned for the role. Back then, the young Australian actor was mostly known for his work on the stage and a few small projects in Australia. While information is scarce about Jackman’s consideration for the role, he frequently appears in the list of celebrities that were considered for the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
If you find yourself suddenly pining for an alternate reality where Jackman was mentoring Anakin Skywalker instead of Ewan McGregor, consider this. We would be living in an alternate universe where Hugh Jackman never played Logan in the X-Men films. The actor’s breakout role came in 2000 when he was cast as the mutant superhero.
6. Poe Dameron (James McAvoy)
James McAvoy, another X-Men alum, was also considered for a role in the Star Wars universe. Before Oscar Isaac was cast in the role of the hotheaded X-Wing pilot, J.J. Abrams was rumored to have considered casting James McAvoy. Some fans may remember that Poe Dameron was originally intended to die in The Force Awakens, but it was ultimately Oscar Isaac’s performance that made Abrams reconsider that decision. Do you think McAvoy would have survived the first film?
Production for The Force Awakens began in July of 2014, which would not have interfered with McAvoy’s work on X-Men: Apocalypse, which began filming in the spring of 2015. Especially considering the fact that Oscar Isaac is actually in the film too! If you have seen X-Men: Apocalypse and you can’t remember who he played, his character’s name is even in the title! Trust me, you would not recognize Isaac in his role as En Sabah Nur (or Apocalypse), so don’t feel bad about not remembering him.
While it likely wasn’t this film’s production that would have posed a challenge, had McAvoy been cast as Poe Dameron, his commitment to the future X-Men films may have sealed Dameron’s fate in The Force Awakens.
7. Qui-Gon Jinn (Tom Hanks)
Rumors have often suggested that before Liam Neeson was cast, George Lucas was originally searching for an American actor to portray Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Among the names that have been speculated on, which included Kurt Russell and Kyle MacLachlan, was Tom Hanks. Yes, the one and only Tom Hanks who embodies “America’s Dad” in every role he’s been seen in.
While we may not have confirmation about whether Tom Hanks auditioned for the prequel trilogy, we do know that his son Colin Hanks auditioned for Anakin Skywalker!
During an interview, the younger Hanks said, “I met with a casting director, along with every other actor in my age group. That was it. But I did know the actor who was auditioning after me, and he mentioned it [to a reporter], and suddenly they were saying ‘Tom Hanks’ son in the running to play Darth Vader!’ That might be the only press clipping I ever put up on my fridge.”
Wouldn’t that have been something if Tom Hanks had been cast as Qui-Gon Jinn, only to later have his son take on the role of Anakin Skywalker? That would’ve added layers to the tragedy of Qui-Gon Jinn’s death.
8. Darth Maul (Benicio Del Toro)
Darth Maul is a character that has grown in popularity since his first introduction in The Phantom Menace. We learned more about the character in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and later in Star Wars Rebels (where he was voiced by the incredible Sam Witwer). The character appeared at the end of Solo: A Star Wars Story in a surprise reveal. But did you know that we nearly saw an entirely different actor in the role? And a familiar one at that!
While it may be hard to believe, Benicio Del Toro was in consideration for the role of Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace. The rumor is that Del Toro had actually booked the role, but when George Lucas rewrote portions of the script which changed Darth Maul’s role in the film, Del Toro dropped out. These claims are unsubstantiated, but the most prominent rumor about his attachment to the first film in the prequel trilogy.
At this time, Del Toro was at the height of his career, and choosing to walk away from the project was probably in his best interests. Of course, two decades later, Del Toro returned to the Star Wars universe to portray the morally ambiguous DJ in Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi.
But he wasn’t the only actor up for the role…
9. DJ (Joaquin Phoenix)
Before Benicio Del Toro’s name was attached to The Last Jedi, allegedly Joaquin Phoenix was up for the role of DJ. Claims suggest that Phoenix had actually been offered the role, only for him to walk away from the deal, which paved the way for Del Toro’s casting.
While Joaquin Phoenix is most recently known for his titular role in Joker, the Academy Award winner has been known to walk away from offers to appear in major blockbuster films from Star Wars and Marvel. Back in 2014, the actor pulled out of negotiations to portray Dr. Strange in the Marvel films citing the demands of being in a major franchise. This may explain the reasons behind him backing down from Star Wars as well.
In an interview with Time Out New York, the actor stated, “I’ve flirted with several of those films, having meetings and getting close, but ultimately it never felt like they’d really be fulfilling. There were too many requirements that went against my instincts for character.”
Joaquin Phoenix may not have ended up taking on the role, it is easy to imagine why director Rian Johnson would have considered him for the role. Phoenix embodies the smooth-talking charm and ambiguity that the role demanded. Ultimately though, Del Toro was the perfect choice for the role of DJ.
10. Anakin Skywalker, Tobias Beckett (Christian Bale)
Speaking of actors from the DC Comics cinematic universe, Batman himself has been considered for roles in the Star Wars franchise twice over. Yes, that’s right — Christian Bale.
Just like with Leonardo DiCaprio, it’s easy to imagine Christian Bale being in the audition room for Anakin Skywalker back in the early 2000s. The English actor had a decade of notable supporting roles, leading up to the casting process for Attack of the Clones. In fact, filming began a few months after Bale’s career-defining work in American Psycho. While promoting the film, he dodged questions about whether he was in negotiations to appear in the Star Wars franchise.
Ultimately it was not meant to be, but nearly two decades later Bale was considered for another role in the franchise. Before Woody Harrelson booked the role of Han Solo’s criminal mentor, Christian Bale was in negotiations for the role.
In an interview with Josh Horowitz, Bale confirmed his potential involvement in the franchise: “I not only love the films going back to my childhood but also have a very long relationship with Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall because they did Empire of the Sun many years back. There was discussion, [and] I hope there will be future discussions.”
So at least we might see him in the future!
11. Han Solo (Charlie Cox)
Speaking of Han Solo and superheroes — Charlie Cox may have been a front runner for the coveted role, if only he hadn’t picked up a certain trait from his time as Daredevil on Netflix’s popular series.
Tom Holland isn’t the only actor to mess up in the audition room, but Cox’s audition room mistake had nothing to do with laughing at a droid. Unfortunately, during his time portraying the blind superhero Matt Murdock, Cox adopted a tick to where he wouldn’t make eye contact on screen.
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Cox revealed the embarrassing experience in the audition room. “Halfway through it, the casting director stopped me and said, ‘Why aren’t you looking at me?’ […] I realized I had gotten into a habit of not making eye contact, because the only thing I had done for two years is play someone who is blind. I never got invited back, probably because they couldn’t figure out why I was acting like a complete idiot.”
Given the nature of Star Wars’ super-secretive audition process, Cox isn’t 100 percent certain he auditioned for the role, but he seems pretty confident in that assertion. Regardless of whether he auditioned for Solo: A Star Wars Story, his audition story is one for the books.
12. Rey (Elizabeth Olsen)
When you look at the list of actresses that allegedly auditioned for the role of Rey for The Force Awakens, they all seem pretty obvious. Names like the Golden Globe Award-winning actress Saoirse Ronan, for instance. But did you know that Marvel’s own breakout star Elizabeth Olsen was asked to audition for the role?
Olsen’s filming for Captain America: The Winter Soldier’s credit scene would have wrapped a year prior to principal photography beginning for Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2014. While she may have been free to shoot the first film in the trilogy, she was already contracted for multiple appearances in the future Marvel Cinematic Universe films. Rumors about J.J. Abrams considering her for the role are largely unsubstantiated, but we do know that Olsen is a huge fan of the franchise. In fact, it was her love for Star Wars that led to her becoming part of the MCU.
While Elizabeth Olsen has yet to appear in a Star Wars film, her WandaVision co-star Paul Bettany appeared in Solo: A Star Wars Story as Dryden Vos. He appeared opposite Game of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke, whose role in the popular HBO series Olsen ironically auditioned for.
13. Jyn Erso, Rey (Brie Larson)
Back during the internet’s summer of 2020 obsession with the video game Animal Crossing, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story co-writer Gary Whitta launched an in-game YouTube series where he interviewed celebrities. During an interview with Brie Larson on the show, she realized his connection to the Star Wars film and revealed, “I auditioned for that. I didn’t get it.”
When Larson first launched her own YouTube channel last year, she also revealed that she auditioned for the role of Rey.
It’s hard to imagine a world where Larson didn’t become Carol Danvers in Marvel’s Captain Marvel, but if she had booked the role of Rey back in 2014, she would not have become the superhero we all know and love today. She even got to play with Samuel L. Jackson’s Mace Windu lightsaber on the set of the film.
With the long list of upcoming Star Wars films and the potential for even more with the success of the New York Times best-selling Star Wars: The High Republic book series, there’s ample opportunity for Brie Larson to appear in a future Star Wars product. After all, she’s a huge Star Wars fan and there’s something satisfying about seeing fans of the franchise live out their childhood dreams.
14. Qi’ra (Tessa Thompson)
Like with most characters in the Star Wars franchise, a lot of actors auditioned for the role prior to the final pick being selected. The role of Qi’ra in Solo: A Star Wars Story was no different. One such actress who went through the audition process for the character was Tessa Thompson.
Though rumors of Thompson’s audition are not officially confirmed by her, articles have purported that she tested for the role in London back in 2016. Given her work with Marvel, it would make sense for the actress to have been in consideration for the role or at the very least seen for an audition. She would have been at the forefront of Disney’s mind, given that she had just wrapped on Thor: Ragnarok during the audition process for Qi’ra. Though, her role in Marvel may have been the deciding factor for her not to cross into the Star Wars franchise.
With Taika Waititi set to direct an upcoming and currently untitled Star Wars project, it seems like the perfect opportunity for the two to reunite on the set of a Star Wars film. The franchise could benefit from Thompson’s incredible and memorable performances.
15. Finn (Ray Fisher)
Speaking of another performer that Star Wars could benefit from casting in a major role, Ray Fisher went through the early audition process for the role of Finn in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Seeing that both Tom Holland and Ray Fisher auditioned for the role, does make one wonder how many different directions they had envisioned taking the role of Finn.
During a Twitch stream, Fisher discussed the audition process for Star Wars, comparing it to the experience he had while auditioning for the role of Cyborg in Justice League. “I did not audition in any intense capacity for Star Wars. In fact, I wasn’t even technically made aware of what the stuff was that I was reading. I don’t think it went further than me putting something on tape and having that be that. […] My experience with Star Wars was probably the equivalent of like maybe a first step, a baby step of what a process would be.”
In the end, J.J. Abrams and the team behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens went ahead with pursuing John Boyega for the role of Finn, but it is fun to imagine how Ray Fisher may have handled the role.
16. Han Solo (Tom Felton)
Back in the early days of Disney’s hunt for the perfect actor to portray the young version of Harrison Ford’s Han Solo, Malfoy actor (of the Harry Potter franchise) Tom Felton was allegedly auditioning for the role. For anyone who recalls the buzz surrounding the search for the right Han Solo, it was reported that nearly every actor in the right age range that even vaguely resembled Harrison Ford was set to audition for the role.
One such report from The Hollywood Reporter claimed that Tom Felton and a slew of other British actors in their mid-to-late 20s had been looked at for the role. While many fans may not be able to see Felton as anyone other than the role he embodied in his adolescence, it is easy to imagine him utilizing that same swagger for a Han Solo audition.
It would have been nice to see Star Wars “kept in the family” as his on-screen father from Harry Potter, Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy), voiced The Inquisitor in Star Wars Rebels. In the end, it wasn’t meant to be and Alden Ehrenreich landed the titular role in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Felton went on to appear as Julian Albert in The CW’s superhero series The Flash.
A few years later he did appear opposite Daisy Ridley in an adaptation of Ophelia.
17. Qi’ra (Zoë Kravitz)
Back in 2016, Vanity Fair reported that Tessa Thompson, Naomi Scott, and Zoë Kravitz were the top three choices to play a romantic lead opposite Alden Ehrenreich’s young Han Solo. Before the role went to Emilia Clarke, it would appear that even the Lucasfilm concept artists were imagining a version of the film where Kravitz was the co-star alongside the fan-favorite smuggler. It should be noted that there are a lot of different pieces of concept art for Qi’ra out there — including stylized alien versions of the character. But that doesn’t keep Star Wars fans from envisioning a world where Solo: A Star Wars Story was co-led by a Black actress.
It seems like casting for Qi’ra was a last-minute decision since both Ehrenreich and Donald Glover had already been cast in their respective roles as Han Solo and Lando Calrissian by the time they were screen testing these three actresses.
Hopefully, there will be an opportunity for Kravitz to lend her extreme talent to the cast of a future Star Wars film. She has had a long line of successful roles in series like Big Little Lies and High Fidelity and is set to appear as the feline-caper Selina Kyle in Warner Bros. The Batman next year.
18. Jyn Erso (Tatiana Maslany)
Back when casting was underway for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, it was reported by The Hollywood Reporter that the film was down to two choices for the role of Jyn Erso. Orphan Black’s star Tatiana Maslany was up against Rooney Mara who was best known for her role in the film Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. While other actresses, including the eventual top choice Felicity Jones, were also being seen for the role, Maslany topped the headlines about the project.
If you are starting to notice a superhero trend among those that were passed on the opportunity to star in a Star Wars film, Maslany is another on the list. Last year Disney announced that Tatiana Maslany would be starring as She-Hulk in the Disney+ series of the same name.
While she may have not been cast as Jyn Erso, that doesn’t rule out the opportunity for her to appear in a future Star Wars project once she wraps up her time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Maslany has garnered critical acclaim for her performance in BBC’s Orphan Black, in which she appeared as multiple characters in.
As a side note, I wouldn’t mind seeing her equally as talented brother Daniel Maslany in the franchise too.
19. Kylo Ren (Eddie Redmayne)
When you think about Kylo Ren, there is simply no one who could have embodied the internal and external conflict of Ben Solo in the way that Adam Driver did. But there are plenty of actors who auditioned for the role that would have given an entirely different style and tone to the tragic villain.
In 2016, during an interview with Uproxx, Eddie Redmayne revealed that he had also auditioned for the role of Kylo Ren. This often-quoted interview also revealed a little about the audition process for the character, fascinating fans with the fact that Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice was apparently used for the reading. And, per Redmayne, the audition went “catastrophically bad.”
He went on to say, “With films that top secret, they don’t give you the actual lines. So they give you a scene from Pride and Prejudice, but then they tell you you’re auditioning for the baddie. If you’re me, you then put some ridiculous voice on.” If you’ve seen Redmayne’s role in Jupiter Ascending, one can only imagine what kind of voice the actor may have used for the audition.
He continued explaining his Darth Vader-like sounds and wrapped up the recollection with, “And after like 10 shots [the casting director is] like, ‘You got anything else?’ I was like, ‘No.’”
There is allegedly concept art related to Redmayne’s audition.
20. Anakin Skywalker (Heath Ledger)
Following Hayden Christensen’s casting in 2000, multiple reports noted the long list of actors who had been considered for the role of Anakin Skywalker. One of those names included the late Heath Ledger, though Lucasfilm representatives at the time denied auditioning any of the names on the rumored list. The actor was also three years older than Natalie Portman, which may have made the age difference between Anakin and Padmé less believable.
In an archived article from StarWars.com, the film’s casting director Robin Gurland explained that she auditioned over 1,500 actors for the role and that ultimately Hayden Christensen was the Chosen One. “When Hayden came for his first meeting […] I just knew that Anakin had walked in the door. I literally picked up the phone and called George and said, ‘Anakin just walked in.’”
Instead of appearing in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, we had the pleasure of seeing him in his roles in The Patriot, A Knight’s Tale, and many more that would have never been had he been cast in the franchise.
While this claim is all speculation, after seeing Heath Ledger bring the Joker to life in Christopher Nolan’s Batman: The Dark Knight, it does make one reflect on how Ledger would have portrayed Anakin’s fall to the Dark Side.
21. Padme Amidala (Vinette Robinson)
A few years ago during an interview on The Two Shot Podcast, Vinette Robinson revealed that when she was 13 years old she had auditioned for the role that would eventually go to Natalie Portman. In fact, it wasn’t just an audition for Star Wars — it was her first audition.
The British actress went on to explain the audition process, citing issues with her strong Yorkshire accent, “I didn’t know what to do and I was really nervous and I felt like I had to talk really proper, like I tried to talk properly [and] sit up really straight.” While she may have felt like her accent hindered her audition, the American actress Natalie Portman did use a British accent for the role.
As other outlets have noted, it’s interesting that the Sherlock star had been considered for the role of Luke and Leia’s mother, considering Robinson’s mixed ethnicity. Regardless, she would have made a regal Queen Amidala.
She did make an appearance in the franchise during Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker as Tyce and it was a notable one at that. Robinson made history for the film franchise by appearing as one half of Disney’s first on-camera queer kiss.
22. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Joseph Fiennes)
Earlier in the article when we had you thinking about popular actors in the mid-90s and early 2000s, this actor probably didn’t pop into your mind. At the time he had only done a few minor roles and hadn’t yet portrayed the bard in the award-winning Shakespeare in Love.
During an interview with The Wrap, Joseph Fiennes told the interviewer a memorable audition story, “I auditioned for a great director. It was whittled down after many auditions to myself and another fine actor who I was at that time at drama school with.” Per the interviewer, Fiennes allegedly waved his hands around like he was holding a lightsaber — a major clue for what he was auditioning for.
Fiennes also revealed that during an audition with George Lucas and Casting Director Robin Gurland he was introduced to someone’s daughter. “[He introduced me as] ‘this is Joe and he’s quite possibly Obi-Wan Kenobi.’ His daughter turned around and said ‘I don’t like this guy. He’s weird. I don’t like him.’ And that’s how my audition went.” That is certainly rough.
The Wrap did confirm that the “fine actor” that Fiennes had attended drama school with was, in fact, Ewan McGregor.
23. General Hux (Jesse Plemons)
Over the past few years, Jesse Plemons has stepped into the limelight with major Oscar-contender-type roles in The Irishman and Judas and The Black Messiah, but he almost landed a role in Star Wars following his work on the popular series Breaking Bad. While he didn’t book the role, he did apparently get congratulated for his non-existent part.
In an interview with Vulture in 2016, Plemons revealed that he had auditioned for the new Star Wars trilogy and that news of his audition had gotten out while his involvement was still up in the air. “I had gone in and read, and then I was going to meet J.J. Abrams, and then, all of a sudden, it was released that I was going to do it. I’d only auditioned once, and I hadn’t even met him yet. So that was bizarre because I heard from everyone. I’m like, ‘No. No, no, no. Stop it.’”
Plemons went on to say, “Even after the movie was filmed, I would get calls from people like, ‘Heard about Star Wars, congratulations!’ It’s like, ‘You heard some different information…’” That had to be awkward.
While Plemons has never confirmed which character he was up for, it has been speculated that he was vying for the role of General Hux, which eventually went to Domhnall Gleeson.
24. Finn (Ed Speleers)
I vividly remember the buzz about Ed Speleers’ potential role in the untitled Star Wars trilogy, not because I was a fan of his work on Downton Abbey, but because I was giddy over the potential of having an autograph from the Eragon-star-turned-Star Wars lead. At the time, Variety had confirmed with multiple sources that Ed Speleers, John Boyega, and the aforementioned Jesse Plemons had been moved to the top of the star-contender list. Around the same time, there were rumors that David Oyelowo and Michael B. Jordan had previously tested for the roles.
While it’s possible that he and Jesse Plemons were up for the same speculated role of General Hux, we have a pretty clear idea of who he almost played. With Adam Driver already cast in the role of Kylo Ren at this time, it’s safe to say that Ed was down-to-the-wire versus John Boyega for the role of Finn. In fact, Speleers later revealed that he had, in fact, auditioned for the role. In the interview, he said, “To be fair, as I didn’t get it, I suppose I can turn round now and say yes, I was considered. I auditioned and had meetings with JJ Abrams and screen tests.”
Losing out on the role led the British actor to be cast on the wildly popular series Outlander, so he won out in the end.
25. Rey (Billie Lourd)
The sequel trilogy may have gone in an entirely different direction if this actress had booked the role. As it turns out, Carrie Fisher’s real-life daughter Billie Lourd auditioned for the role of Rey! Had she booked the role, one has to wonder if Rey would have been Han and Leia’s daughter, instead of Ben Solo being their son. It’s hard to deny that Billie Lourd is the spitting image of her mother.
In an interview with Ellen Degeneres shortly after Fisher’s death, Lourd revealed that she had been considered during the search for Rey. “J.J. Abrams called me to come in for Star Wars because he couldn’t find someone for the lead.” She went on to say, “But I went in and he ended up giving me this tiny role with a couple lines. I was super excited.”
While Abrams found his Rey in Daisy Ridley, Billie Lourd did go on to work in the Star Wars trilogy and even got the opportunity to act with her mother as Lieutenant Connix, which would go on to be a blessing in disguise. Later in the interview, she said, “I’m a big believer in things happening for a reason and I think I ended up in that movie for a reason. It was really incredible for us to have that experience together.”
26. Princess Leia – (Jodie Foster)
Before Princess Leia was brought to life by the late Carrie Fisher, Jodie Foster auditioned for the role. At the time, Foster had already racked up a long list of notable roles in both film and television and it makes sense that the young up-and-coming actress would’ve been considered for the role by George Lucas.
During an interview in 2005, Foster was asked about the rumors surrounding her potential casting in the original Star Wars films. She confirmed the validity of the story, but went on to explain that she “was doing two films back-to-back at the time.” Scheduling would have definitely posed a challenge for her!
Foster was also much younger than Fisher was when auditioned for the role. Fisher was 19 during her screen tests with Harrison Ford, while Jodie Foster was only 14 or 15 at the time. In the same interview, Foster went on to say, “It was when they were still conceiving those characters as very young. By the time they got to making it, they had a totally different conception of the film.”
It makes you wonder just how young Lucas had planned to make the twins when he first worked on developing the characters.
27. Han Solo (Al Pacino)
Longstanding rumors about Al Pacino’s potential involvement with the original Star Wars trilogy were confirmed by the actor back in 2013 during An Evening With Al Pacino in London. At the time, he was discussing roles he had passed on and revealed to the audience why he lost out on the opportunity to play Han Solo. And it’s a surprisingly simple reason. Pacino explained that “It was mine for the taking but I didn’t understand the script.”
While Star Wars was the launchpad for Harrison Ford’s career, Al Pacino was already a household name following the success of The Godfather in 1972 and Serpico in 1973. He would have brought star power to the role, which may have overshadowed the other actors. But the famous Princess Leia line, “Aren’t you a little short for a stormtrooper?” would have taken on an even more humorous angle if Han Solo had accompanied Luke Skywalker, considering Pacino is only 5’6”.
Al Pacino wasn’t the only big-name performer who had been considered for the role. Reportedly, Jack Nicholson, Chevy Chase and Bill Murray were some of the other names being considered by George Lucas for Han Solo. Harrison Ford had previously worked with Lucas, which probably helped him book the part.
28. Han Solo, Luke Skywalker (Kurt Russell)
During George Lucas’ search for the perfect fit for his characters, he had Kurt Russell in his crosshairs for not one, but two roles in the film. Russell was in consideration for both Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, but ultimately George Lucas went in a different direction. You can actually watch his audition tape on YouTube, which he’s referenced in a number of discussions about his audition process.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Russell admitted that he has no regrets about not being cast in the Star Wars franchise. “I was actually pretty [close], in the final running, but I needed to give an answer to ABC to do a western show. I asked George, ‘Do you think you’re gonna use me?’ He said, ‘I don’t know if I want to put you with him, or those two guys together.’ I got to go to work, so I did the western. Clearly, [I] made the right choice.” Though the western series Quest was short-lived at ABC.
Kurt Russell already had a very successful career leading up to his audition for Star Wars and has gone on to appear in notable roles in a long list of films and television series.
29. Luke Skywalker – (William Katt)
If you took the time to watch Kurt Russell’s Star Wars audition tapes, then you may have noticed William Katt sitting alongside him on the seat acting out scenes between Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. The 24-year-old heartthrob, best known for his curly blonde hair, had several minor roles in some of the most popular series of the time leading up to his audition. In 1975, Katt was actually a serious contender for the role of Luke Skywalker, having gone through several screen tests with other potential actors.
Watching Mark Hamill’s audition tape allows you to see what George Lucas saw when he was considering the two men for the role. Hamill offered a different approach to Luke Skywalker, which later became a key part of why so many people fell in love with the character in the films. There’s an edge of innocence and youthfulness that is iconically Hamill.
In an interview with a radio station, Katt reflected on auditioning with Kurt Russell and losing out on the role. But it seems to have worked out in his favor, as instead of landing Luke Skywalker, Katt went on to star as Tommy Ross in the cult-classic film Carrie.
30. Ben Kenobi – (Toshiro Mifune)
When George Lucas began writing the first Star Wars film, he was heavily influenced by the stories and characters of Japanese samurai movies of the time made popular by Akira Kurosawa. Because of this, Lucas had it in his mind that he wanted the mentor role of Ben Kenobi to go to the legendary Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune.
At an event in 2015, the late actor’s daughter Mika Mifune revealed that her late father had been approached for a role in Star Wars. “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,” said Mifune.
It seems that Lucas was intent on having Mifune appear in his film, going so far as to offer the role of Darth Vader to him, but it wasn’t meant to be. Mifune turned down both role offers and never appeared in a Star Wars film. Despite this, Kurosawa’s influence remains throughout the Star Wars franchise.
George Lucas went on to cast the late Alec Guinness in the role and the rest is history.
Conclusion
Throughout the history of Star Wars, there have been thousands of actors, both unknowns and major celebrities, who have been considered for roles in the franchise. Some actors are lucky enough to be directly approached for their roles — like Pedro Pascal in The Mandalorian — while others have lucked out due to scheduling conflicts, role changes, or alternate decisions. Like with any job, roles are left open until the director finds the perfect candidate for the character.
Sometimes that means auditioning 1,500 actors in the same age and demographic, while other times that means looking for specific types of performances, regardless of the actors’ appearances.
When reflecting on the roles that “almost” went to a different actor, it’s important to remember that just because there’s concept art for a specific actor in a role, that doesn’t necessarily mean they were the top pick for the character. Oftentimes, concept artists will be given several different names and allowed to create whatever ideas they have for the film to spark the other creatives around them. But that doesn’t mean you can’t envision your own version of Star Wars where your favorite actor or actress landed a key role in the universe.
Who is your favorite actor who was “almost” in a Star Wars film? Is there anyone on this list that you would want to see in a future Star Wars project? Let us know in the comments!