Han Solo is considered one of the most well known movie characters of all time. Like any part of Star Wars, multiple people were considered for the role. Thanks to a new memoir, someone other than Harrison Ford was considered for the role and turned it down thanks to his own personal success.
Via Entertainment Weekly, Al Pacino revealed in his new memoir Sonny Boy that the role of Han Solo in A New Hope was offered to him. His star was rising fast, coming off the smash hit 1972 epic film The Godfather. He recalls in the book having a conversation with his acting coach, Charlie Laughton, who was a prominent figure in Pacino's life. He wrote, "They offered me the role of Han Solo in Star Wars." After they both read the script, Pacino said, "So there I am, reading Star Wars. I gave it to Charlie. I said, 'Charlie, I can't make anything out of this.' He calls me back. 'Neither can I.' So I didn't do it."
It's humorous to me to hear this story because that was a common sentiment from people like Anthony Daniels and Alec Guinness when they filmed A New Hope. No one knew what a Wookiee was, or hyperspace, or any of the jargon that has become part of our culture zeitgeist nowadays. It's funny that this is the point that kept Pacino away from Star Wars.
Not that it mattered in the long run, as he wrote in his memoir, "The Godfather followed me everywhere I went and overshadowed everything I did. I was shy about it, and the world wouldn't let me be shy. I was absolutely confounded by all the commotion. After The Godfather, they would have let me play anything."
It's hard to imagine anyone other than Harrison Ford in the role of Han, as it became iconic in its own right. I think, in the end, things worked out as they should have, with each actor becoming a star.
If you want to read more about the excerpt, Al Pacino's autobiography Sonny Boy is out now.