Having been around for over four decades, Star Wars has become one of the most popular franchises in Hollywood and has featured some of the biggest stars in the industry. The list of names who have appeared in the franchise over the past decades includes Harrison Ford, Mark Hamil, Carrie Fisher, Samuel L. Jackson, and many more.
However, there is also a list that includes the names of the actors who chose to pass on the offer to star in the $10 billion sci-fi franchise, and it includes some of the most prominent names from Hollywood.
Hollywood Actors Who Turned Down Star Wars Roles
Kurt Russell
The Primetime Emmy nominee Kurt Russell was among some of the leading men in 1970s Hollywood. He also signed a ten-year contract with The Walt Disney Company during the late 1960s and was the studio’s top star by the 1970s. So when the studio started developing the sci-fi franchise Star Wars, he became a top choice for multiple roles, including for Luke Skywalker and Han Solo.
However, he decided to accept the offer for another show after filmmaker George Lucas couldn’t give him any specific answer regarding his role in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. “All right, I’m going to go take this Western, and there will be one less guy to think about,” he recalled telling Lucas during an interview with Daily Beast. He then went on to star in the television series The Quest.
Jim Henson
Since he was introduced in the 1980 film The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda has been one of the most prominent and popular characters in the franchise. While working on the second installment in the original Star Wars trilogy, filmmaker George Lucas wanted the puppeteer and animator Jim Henson to bring the character to life on screen.
Henson was widely known for his work with Muppets characters such as Kermit the Frog at the time. However, he was reportedly busy with other projects at the time and asked the filmmaker to approach Frank OZ. “I think they asked Jim first – but with running a company and everything, he couldn’t do it, so he recommended me,” Frank Oz shared during an interview with IGN. OZ has since voiced the character in several on-screen appearances.
Jodie Foster
Before Carrie Fisher was offered the role of Princess Leia in the 1977 Star Wars film, Jodie Foster was offered the part. The actress had been heavily involved with Disney projects at the time and was offered one of the leading roles in the franchise when she was just around 14 years old.
However, she denied the offer due to the scheduling conflicts with Martin Scorsese’s 1976 psychological thriller Taxi Driver. And the actress has no regrets about losing the part, as she has said, “I don’t think I’m going to be on my deathbed going, like, ‘Damn! I didn’t do Star Wars,” during an interview with The Empire (as per Vogue).
Al Pacino
Al Pacino went on to gain prominence in Hollywood with his work in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather. After starring in the film series, he was approached for the role of the captain of the Millennium Falcon, Han Solo, in the first Star Wars movie. However, he turned down the offer, saying that he did not understand the script.
Talking about some of the movies he rejected, the actor told The Guardian, “You know who else I gave a career to? Harrison Ford. I was offered Star Wars, but I didn’t understand the script.” Harrison Ford eventually landed the role of Han Solo in the 1977 film, which earned him worldwide recognition.
Burt Reynolds
George Lucas had a long list of actors for the role of Han Solo in the 1977 film Star Wars. Apart from Kurt Russell and Al Pacino, Burt Reynolds was also among some of the contenders to portray the captain of the Millennium Falcon.
Explaining why he refused to star in the movie, he shared during an interview with Business Insider that he did not “want to play that kind of role at the time.” However, unlike Pacino, Reynolds regrets letting go of the opportunity. “Now I regret it. I wish I would have done it,” he said. He has also called it one of the biggest mistakes of his career.
Tupac Shakur
After he expressed his interest in joining the sci-fi franchise, Samuel L. Jackson was offered a role in The Phantom Menace. The actor was reportedly offered the role of Lando Calrissian’s father. But, he was later cast as Mace Windu and reprised his role in the follow-up movies under the prequel trilogy.
However, Rick Clifford, an engineer who worked at Tupac Shakur‘s label, later shared that the rapper was also up for the role of Mace Windu in the 1999 film. He shared that the late rapper told him that he was supposed to read for George Lucas, who wanted him to portray a Jedi in his upcoming movie. “I’m serious. Samuel L. got Tupac’s part,” he said (as per Time). The role of Jedi master went to Samuel L. Jackson after the rapper passed away in 1996.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio was offered the role of Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequel trilogy after his performance as Jack Dawson in the Oscar-winning film, Titanic. However, DiCaprio didn’t see himself fit into the sci-fi franchise and denied the offer after being approached by George Lucas.
“I did have a meeting with George Lucas about that as well, yes,” he said during an interview with Shortlist before adding “Again, just didn’t feel ready to take that dive. At that point..” He also talked about turning down the offer to star in several superhero movies at the time.
Gary Oldman
The final film in the Star Wars prequel trilogy follows Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi on a mission to defeat General Grievous. Gary Oldman was offered the role of General Grievous in the 2005 film. However, there was an issue with the movie that prevented him from accepting the offer.
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith was a non-Screen Actors Guild film. Being a member of the actors’ union, Oldman denied breaking the Screen Actors Guild regulation known as Global Rule One. The Oscar winner’s manager shared with Variety that they urged the filmmaker to ask the SAG for “special permission” that would allow him to do the movie. But no such action was taken by the filmmakers.
Benicio Del Toro
Benicio Del Toro has been part of the Star Wars universe, as he portrayed the character of an underworld codebreaker, DJ, in the second installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy. However, before that, he was offered a more prominent role in the 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace under the prequel trilogy.
He was all set to portray the villainous character of Darth Maul and even got into costume and the signature black-and-red makeup of the character. But he decided to step down from the role after the film’s director cut out most of his lines. It was later portrayed by actor-martial artist Ray Park, who embodied the character, and Peter Seraf gave Darth Maul his voice.
Rooney Mara
While working on the 2016 film under the franchise, director Gareth Edwards came across Rooney Mara‘s work, who gained recognition for her work in the mystery thriller The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Soon, she was among some of the contenders for the lead role in the 2016 movie Rogue One.
However, she chose to turn down the offer after the director approached her, as she was busy with another project at the time. “I was working, and it wasn’t the right thing for me, so I decided not to read for it. I was on a film,” she stated during an interview with Deadline, as she shared that it would have been impossible for her to work on two projects.
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