Alec Guinness will be forever remembered as Obi-Wan Kenobi in George Lucas’ iconic 1977 film Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. Training Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker, Guinness had a lot more to offer than just his acting skills.
From fixing the dialogues to suggesting storylines that changed the future of Star Wars as we know it, Alec Guinness was quite involved in the franchise, and George Lucas wasn’t one to shy away from giving him a handsome reward for his work.
When Alec Guinness Got The Script of Star Wars
Born in 1914, Guinness was already a veteran actor when George Lucas thought about his 1977 film. Giving the script to the actor, Lucas stated that he always wanted Guinness for the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
However, it wasn’t smooth sailing at all since Alec Guinness was not a fan of sci-fi films. The actor continued to read the script despite it not being his genre of choice and felt that it needed much more.
Speaking on the show Parkinson in 1977, Alec Guinness revealed that his first thought while reading the script was that he didn’t want to do a sci-fi film. The second thought that he had was that the dialogues were too bland!
A script arrived on my dressing table and I heard that it had been delivered by George Lucas. I thought, ‘Well that’s rather impressive because he’s an up and coming, and very respect worthy young director,’ and then when I opened it and saw that it was science fiction I thought, ‘Oh crumbs, this is simply not for me’.
He further continued,
Then I started reading and I thought that the dialogue was pretty ropey, but I had to go on turning the page. That’s an essential in any script. And I went on reading and I thought ‘I like this, if only we can get some of the dialogue altered.’ And then I met him we got on very well, and I found myself doing it.
It was Alec Guinness who suggested that they kill Obi-Wan Kenobi before the film’s finale so that it leaves an impact on Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker. That single decision ultimately changed the fate of Star Wars and Lucas was thankful for it.
Since Alec Guinness had some really good suggestions and dialogue changes, George Lucas decided to show his appreciation by giving the actor some part of the film’s earnings.
George Lucas and Alec Guinness Made A Deal
As the interview further continued, Alec Guinness revealed that he and George Lucas signed a contract. The contract stated that Alec Guinness would receive 2% of the profits from the film’s box office collection.
Before the release, however, everyone was awaiting the news about the film’s success. Whether the film would be a hit or a flop was a big question, and Guinness revealed that one day before the premiere, Lucas gave him the good news.
I had a contract, my agent asked for 2% [of the film’s royalties paid to the director]… and I said ‘Oh fine, all right,’ and the day before the film opened in San Francisco, George Lucas phoned me and said ‘I think the movie’s going to be all right…
He further continued,
We’re very grateful for the little alterations you suggested, so we’d like to offer you another half percent, by making it 2.5%’. I said, ‘That’s marvellous, thank you very much.’
As per IMDB, the film opened to a warm reception from the audience and went on to earn a whopping $775 million at the global box office (the highest in 1977).
The film, as we know it, spurred a franchise worth billions of dollars and a global pop culture phenomenon. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope received a rating of 8.6/10 on IMDB and a whopping 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. The iconic Alec Guinness film is available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.
