Hollywood veteran Harrison Ford has a stellar resume to his name with astounding movie titles. His Star Wars role Han Solo rocketed the actor to a new height of fame and success, yet Ford despised playing the character.
Ford previously wanted his Star Wars character to be killed off and the actor was in disdain continuing the legacy of Han Solo. After his appearance in J.J. Abrams’ 2015 movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a journalist asked the actor if he would appear in a new Holiday Special movie and his response justified his long-time frustration with the character.
Harrison Ford Said No To A New Star Wars Holiday Special
In 1978, a Steve Binder-directed 2 hours long sci-fi comedy, Star Wars Holiday Special was distributed by CBS. Harrison Ford reprised his role in the television movie. Afterward, the actor was seen in many interviews as if he didn’t want to appear in the movie. Years later, after his continuation of the character in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the actor was on a promotional tour of the movie when a journalist asked, “If you were to do a New Star Wars Holiday Special tied to the Force Awakens, what would you want to see in it?”
Ford’s response was not surprising considering his long disdain with the character but the response was still blunt. Ford said, “I’d kill myself.” It was certainly an explicit outburst from the actor as he even struggled to imagine returning for the character. However, despite his open dismay for the character, Ford kept on reprising the role as he made another cameo in the 2019 film of the franchise, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Harrison Ford Urged Han Solo To Be Killed Off
Ford was certainly a star even before his Star Wars debut in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope which gave him the negotiation leverage for his role. However, it is an undeniable fact that his Star Wars role, Han Solo accelerated his rising stardom. Ford has always advocated the on-screen death of Han Solo and finally the makers of Star Wars: The Force Awakens killed the character off. A relief for Ford? Maybe.
Speaking of Han Solo’s death while appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the actor said he has been arguing for Solo’s death for thirty years. “I argued for 30 years for this to happen right and finally, I wore him down,” Ford joked. In the 2004 making-of documentary Empire of Dreams, Ford said:
“I thought Han Solo should die. I thought he ought to sacrifice himself for [Luke and Leia]. He’s got no mama. He’s got no papa. He’s got no future. He has no story responsibilities at this point. So let’s allow him to commit self-sacrifice.”
Now, ahead of the holiday season, Ford’s video responding to the journalist has resurfaced. Thing time, it seems that the actor is quite conclusive in his statement.
