Why did Harrison Ford hate Star Wars? In an interview with ABC from 2010, Ford shared his thoughts on killing off Han Solo, saying there was no way to weave him back into the story, and that he was ‘not so interesting’ to him.
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How does Harrison Ford feel about Star Wars?
YOU can’t think of Star Wars without Han Solo coming to mind, the swashbuckling smuggler famously played by Harrison Ford. The role made Ford one of Hollywood ‘s biggest stars – but did you know that he quietly HATES the beloved franchise?
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Why was Harrison Ford chosen for Star Wars?
The remarkable story of how Harrison Ford won the part of Han Solo Harrison Ford as Han Solo in Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, (Lucasfilm/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images) With those matinee idol looks and nuclear-charged charisma, you’d think that would have been a star from the moment he first joined Wisconsin’s Belfry Players in the summer of 1964.
- That somehow some passing Hollywood bigwig would have seen that impossibly handsome 20-year-old and signed him up for a five-picture deal.
- You, kid,” he might well have said, “are going to be the new Warren Beatty.” Except it didn’t work out like that.
- Harrison Ford didn’t become that household name until he was into his mid-thirties, having spent much of the previous decade juggling middling acting jobs with working as a carpenter.
Read more: And though he’d managed to secure a few decent roles in a few decent flicks in the years before Star Wars, Ford’s acting career hadn’t taken off so much that he could retire the circular saw and utility knife. Harrison Ford on the set of A Time for Killing in 1967.
- Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images) In fact, Ford had only trained in carpentry as a result of the crappy roles he was being offered in the 1960s.
- Tiny, blink-and-you’ll-miss-him parts in TV shows such as Gunsmoke, Ironside and The Virginian weren’t offering him the financial stability he needed to support his then-wife and two young sons.
And it’s not as if he felt valued in the business anyway. When French director Jacques Demy earmarked Ford for the lead role of his first American film, Model Shop (1969) the head of Columbia Pictures stated Ford had ‘no future’ in the movie biz and instructed Demy to hire a more experienced actor (the part eventually went to 2001: A Space Odyssey star Gary Lockwood).
Harrison Ford and Jenny Sullivan in ABC comedy Love, American Style, broadcast in November, 1969. (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images) “Through carpentry, I fed my family and began to pick and choose from among the roles offered,” Ford said. “I could afford to hold out until something better came along.
But I never gave up my ambition to be an actor. I was frustrated but never felt defeated by my frustration.” Read more: Ford’s acting career, however, saw a small upturn in the 1970s. In 1972, casting director Fred Roos, for whom Ford was working for as a carpenter, secured the by-now part-time actor an audition with George Lucas for a comedy-drama set in the Modesto, California of the director’s youth.
Harrison Ford on the set of American Graffiti, (Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images) An impressed Lucas offered Ford the part of Bob Falfa in 1973’s American Graffiti, only Ford said he would only take the role on the condition that he keep his own his hair (the character was specified as having a flattop in the script).
Lucas agreed, and arranged for Ford to wear a Stetson in the film to cover up his oh-so-70s barnet. American Graffiti was a roaring success, but it didn’t exactly lead to a slew of job offers. Yet the movies Ford was being offered were at least impressive.
- On the advice of Roos, Francis Ford Coppola secured him small roles in The Conversation and Apocalypse Now (which, although released in 1979, was lensed pre- Star Wars ).
- Harrison Ford’s Colonel Lucas (R) gives orders to Martin Sheen’s (L) Captain Willard in 1979’s Apocalypse Now,
- CBS via Getty Images) But how did the then-34-year-old part-time chippie land the role of Han Solo? George Lucas wasn’t keen on using any actors from his previous film, worried that his sci-fi epic would be dismissed as ‘ American Graffiti in space’.
Roos, however, was convinced Ford was a perfect match for the Corellian captain. Though Lucas was adamant, Roos decided to hire Ford to build a door for him at the offices of American Zeotrope, where Lucas had scheduled the casting call. Read more: “Harrison had done a lot of carpentry for me,” Roos said.
- He needed money, he had kids, he wasn’t a big movie star yet.
- The day he was doing it, George happened to be there.
- It was serendipitous.” Harrison Ford working a lathe in 1984.
- Paul Harris/Getty Images ) Ford did end up playing Solo at those auditions, but it wasn’t for the purpose of seeing whether he was right for the part.
Having spotted him working, Lucas asked Ford to assist in the auditions by feeding lines to the other actors. Despite names such as Kurt Russell, Christopher Walken and Nick Nolte reading for Han Solo, it was this handsome, laconic and effortlessly charismatic carpenter who was clearly the best fit.
Ford has described himself as a ‘late bloomer’, but looking back on his career – that ‘no future’ burn from that studio head and that run of poorly paid, creatively frustrating TV and film roles and then the brainwave to train in a craft to support his young family — it all seems to lead to Star Wars and thus to Indiana Jones, Blade Runner and a host of big screen classics. Read more: Had Harrison Ford not turned to carpentry, it’s entirely possible that Kurt Russell would have nabbed the part of Han Solo and that Dustin Hoffman would have essayed the role of Rick Deckard and Tom Selleck would have cracked the whip as Indiana Jones.As Harrison Ford turns 80, it’s worth reminding ourselves that it’s often luck, as well as talent, that makes some people megastars. Watch: Kathleen Kennedy pays tribute to Harrison Ford
: The remarkable story of how Harrison Ford won the part of Han Solo
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Is Harrison Ford better as Han Solo or Indiana Jones?
Why Indiana Jones Is Better Than Han Solo – Overall, Indiana Jones is a better character than Han Solo because he has a slightly stronger personality and a more interesting character arc, his movies are of a generally higher quality, and he is fuelled by more nuanced performances. Though Han Solo would beat him in a fight and is more iconic, Jones emerges on top.
- No matter what’s thrown at him, he’ll always get back up.
- Both Indiana Jones and Han Solo are iconic staples of cinema.
- They’re tied for Harrison Ford’s best role, and have actually crossed over via a Millennium Falcon Easter egg,
- Thankfully, though choosing between them is fun, it isn’t necessary.
- They’re both available for us to enjoy whenever fans feel like watching their movies.
Next: Indiana Jones Convinced George Lucas To Make Star Wars Prequels
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What role did Al Pacino turned down in Star Wars?
Pacino went on to reveal he was offered the role of Han Solo in the 1977 movie. Of course, Han Solo was eventually taken on by Harrison Ford and played him all the way until the 2019 film The Rise of Skywalker. Pacino added about Lucas’ offer to him: ‘I was in The Godfather.
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Do Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford like each other?
Entertainment News – Though Ford had appeared in films like “American Graffiti” and “The Conversation” in the early 1970s, he famously took on work as a carpenter to make ends meet after that. “Star Wars” (later called “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope”) was released in 1977, and the megasuccess of the franchise changed everything.
- He’s since gone on to charm us in franchises like ” Indiana Jones ” and “Blade Runner,” plus films like “Air Force One” and “The Fugitive.” He’s also set to join a “Yellowstone” prequel for Paramount+.
- Yet he only has one Oscar nomination, for 1985’s “Witness.” So it’s nice to see that he and Hamill can remain friends over the many films and decades they’ve shared together.
Ford told Jake’s Takes in 2020 regarding Hamill, “He’s just a really straightforward, nice guy. He’s really a sweet guy.” This story first appeared on TODAY.com, More from TODAY:
Raw & Order: Chris Meloni bares all in Peloton ad Jennifer Grey discusses iconic ‘Dirty Dancing’ scene and her own abortion story Former ‘Love Is Blind’ contestant sues the Netflix show for ‘inhumane working conditions’
What did John Lennon think of Star Wars?
The new Star Wars movie opens today, which brings this John Lennon quote to mind: ‘I think these people that project these space fantasies are projecting war in space continually, with women in mini-skirts, available sexual objects, men with super-macho John Wayne guns on their hips.
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Who turned down Han Solo role?
Hokey religions and ancient weapons? Taron Egerton took a pass. During a recent appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the Rocketman star told host Josh Horowitz that he was in the mix for the role of young Han Solo in Solo: A Star Wars Story, but he took himself out of the running.
I’ll be honest, I got on the Falcon. I was with Chewie. I was in the full costume,” Egerton said. “I felt like I got there, I did it, I lived it.” Egerton, 32, listened to his gut, which told him that stepping into Harrison Ford’s shoes wasn’t the right move for him. So he stepped away from the next round of auditions.
“It just felt to me like I didn’t feel. like you know when we mentioned earlier, that thing when I read the Kingsman script and I was like, ‘This is I’ve gotta do this. This is my part,'” he told Horowitz. “I just didn’t feel it.” In the end, the role in Solo: A Star Wars Story went to Alden Ehrenreich, and the 2018 film failed to launch with audiences. (L) Taron Egerton and Harrison Ford as Han Solo | Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images; Everett Collection Egerton was among the cavalcade of young white men in Hollywood rumored at the time to be in contention for the Solo role, and in 2016, Egerton addressed the rumors while promoting his film Eddie the Eagle,
- I’ve seen the stuff on the internet, and I think any lad of my age would kill to play a part like that,” he said on The Jonathan Ross Show at the time.
- It’s very, very flattering.
- I’ve no idea if there’s any truth in it, but I mean, Lucasfilm, Disney, if there is, then you know where I am.” Egerton, who won a Golden Globe for his role as Elton John in Rocketman, told Horowitz this week that he was willing to discuss his brief stay on the Millennium Falcon because he believed enough time had gone by.
“It’s far enough in the past now that I feel I can say that,” he said. “I hope no one feels annoyed that I have said it.” Egerton recently opened up about his interest in another role made famous by a prior actor, telling The New York Times that he’s had conversations with Marvel Studio and company president Kevin Feige about stepping into the role of Wolverine, who’s famously been played by Hugh Jackman for decades.
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Who originally auditioned for Luke Skywalker?
Kino. Krieg Der Sterne, 1970er, 1970s, Luke Skywalker, Prinzessin Leia, Science Fiction, Star Wars, Krieg Der Sterne, 1970er, 1970s, Luke Skywalker, Prinzessin Leia, Science Fiction, Star Wars, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill Nachdem die Flucht vom ‘Todesstern’ gelungen ist, suchen Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) und Prinzessin Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) nach den Weltraumrebellen.
1977. (Photo by FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives via Getty Images) Today it’s almost impossible to imagine anybody else playing the main characters in the original Star Wars trilogy. The faces of Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and especially Mark Hamill are so strongly associated with the characters that they played in the original trilogy that the thought of seeing anybody else portray the characters in those movies feels jarring.
But like any other movie, back in the seventies, before the characters were iconic pieces of pop culture, they were roles in a movie, just like any other and several different people auditioned to be in Star Wars that ultimately didn’t end up getting the part.
While you see the face of Mark Hamill when you think of Luke Skywalker, in another timeline, there could be another actor that is brought to mind when you think of the Jedi Knight. Probably the most famous person to audition for the role of Luke was Kurt Russell. Even by the early 1970s, Russell had already had a successful career as a child actor in several live action Walt Disney movies including Follow Me, Boys, and The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes,
But by the mid seventies, Russell was transitioning out of child and teenage roles, and was looking to move toward a career playing adults in movies. He auditioned for Star Wars and actually auditioned for both the roles of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo,
- George Lucas apparently liked Russell in both roles and strongly considered him for either part, but in the end, it may have been the director’s inability to choose which role to cast him in that kept Russell from appearing in Star Wars,
- At the same time, Kurt Russell was also offered a role in a television western series called The Quest,
He asked Lucas about the Star Wars roles he had auditioned for, but Lucas was unable to tell him which part he was better for, or if he would have been cast at all. Because the role in the western had already been offered to him, Russell took the sure bet and took himself out of the running for Star Wars,
- In some ways, actor Charles Martin Smith might have been the actor most likely to land the role of Luke going into the auditions.
- Smith had already worked with George Lucas once before in the movie American Graffiti a few years earlier playing the role of Terry “The Toad” Fields.
- While there’s never been a suggestion that Lucas and Smith ever had any issues with each other, it still may have been his work in American Graffiti that worked against Smith.
Lucas was reportedly strongly against casting Harrison Ford in the role of Indiana Jones because he didn’t want to reuse the actor who had already appeared in two of his movies (and was reportedly not considering Ford for Star Wars for the same reason at first).
Lucas would tell Spielberg that he didn’t want Ford to ” be his Bobby ” referring to the long track record of movies that Martin Scorsese had done with Robert De Niro. It’s very possible that part of the reason that Charles Martin Smith didn’t get the role was that Lucas was trying to prevent that director/actor association from happening in his career.
While plenty more people auditioned for the role of Luke that ultimately ended up not getting the part, the other big name that is worth mentioning is actor William Katt who would go on to be best known for his role in the television series The Greatest American Hero,
Katt auditioned for Star Wars back in 1975, before he was a household name and actually auditioned alongside Kurt Russell when Russell was reading for Han Solo, but of course, the role would eventually go to Mark Hamill instead of Katt. Still, it seems that Katt’s audition for Star Wars wasn’t fully a waste of time for the actor.
As Lucas was casting for Star Wars, director Brian De Palma was casting for his Stephen King adaptation of Carrie, Because both Lucas and De Palma were looking for unknown actors to cast in their respective movies, they decided to coordinate their auditions,
- Several actors recalled both directors in the room and auditioned for both films simultaneously.
- This arrangement seemed to work out for William Katt, because even though he didn’t get the part in Star Wars, he was cast as Carrie’s doomed prom date Tommy Ross which was the actor’s biggest credit to date.
His performance in Carrie helped to pave the way for the rest of Katt’s career, so even though he never got to be a part of Star Wars, he’s still probably glad that he got the chance to audition for it.
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Who was originally offered the role of Luke Skywalker?
Kurt Russell, Luke Skywalker He was up for the role of either Han Solo or Luke Skywalker, but bailed on the project entirely to join the ABC western The Quest which ended up being canceled after one season.
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Who is a better pilot Han or Luke?
The Star Wars franchise is chock full of hotshot pilots. From Poe Dameron to Wedge Antilles, there’s a different flying style for every fan taste. That said, arguably the two most iconic pilots in the series are Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. That raises the question of who the superior pilot truly is, and we recently posted that question to the cast of Solo: A Star Wars Story during the film’s recent press day in Los Angeles.
- However, when we asked Val actress Thandie Newton to explain the differences, she gave a near-perfect answer about why Han’s from-the-gut style beats Luke’s far more disciplined approach.
- The Westworld actress explained: I think maybe they’re very different types of pilots.
- Aren’t they? Luke is probably much more by-the-book.
Not to be rude, but more scientific in his approach, whereas Solo takes risks. And very often in evolution, the risks, the accidents are what make the stronger evolutionary choice. So, if you want to look at it scientifically, Solo probably. That’s pretty much a perfect encapsulation of what makes Han Solo and Luke Skywalker fundamentally different pilots in the Star Wars galaxy.
Luke is arguably a far more disciplined pilot, and he lets The Force guide him. Meanwhile, Han Solo takes more risks and (often intentionally) puts himself in situations in which he’s not sure if he will survive. Comparing the two styles side-by-side, Thandie Newton thinks that Han’s method actually shows superior skill.
One other layer of this equation that feels worth exploring is the way in which Luke and Han work with others when they fly. Throughout the original trilogy, Luke was shown flying in teams as a member of Red Squadron (particularly in the Battle of Yavin and the Battle of Hoth), while Han (true to the origin of his name ) was shown flying solo – well, with Chewbacca in the co-pilot’s seat, of course.
Luke has the support of others around him, while Han has proven that he knows how to get by on his own. Of course, if you want to hear everything that Thandie Newton had to say to CinemaBlend about the fundamental differences between Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, then make sure to take a look at a clip from our interview with her, below! Now that Solo: A Star Wars Story is finally in theaters, audiences have a chance to see what kind of pilot young Han Solo is in his earliest adventures.
Why Does Harrison Ford Hate Han Solo? (Re-upload)
On that note, make sure to take a look at CinemaBlend’s full review of the most recent Star Wars franchise spinoff, and check the film out for yourself! Originally from Connecticut, Conner grew up in San Diego and graduated from Chapman University in 2014.
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Is Harrison Ford proud of Indiana Jones?
INDIANA JONES 5 With less than a year before audiences get to see INDIANA JONES 5 – or whatever it will be titled when it’s released – on the big screen, franchise star Harrison Ford has been making appearances and hyping up the fifth and possibly last movie to see him take on the role of the daring and dashing adventurer.
Earlier in the year, Ford showed up at the STAR WARS celebration to talk about the Summer 2023 film, where he talked about everything from John Williams’ score to donning the fedora once again. Then in September 2022, Ford appeared at Disney’s D23 Expo where he said he expressed his pride and happiness about INDIANA JONES 5.
If you weren’t able to attend the pop culture extravaganza that also saw the reveal of several Marvel and STAR WARS movies, don’t feel left out because here’s a breakdown of what Ford had to say, as well as some other details about the upcoming adventure film.
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Who turned down the Batman role?
Among his many roles, Ghostbusters star Bill Murray was given the chance of playing Batman, but has recently explained why he turned it down. Bill Murray has had a long and varied career, from his Saturday Night Live appearances, through comedy movies like Groundhog Day and Ghostbusters, to his recent work with Wes Anderson and an upcoming role in the MCU. At one point in the 1980s, there was a possibility of the much-loved actor playing Batman on the big screen in a movie by Ivan Reitman,
In a recent interview, Murray explained why he turned down the chance to portray the Dark Knight on screen, which effectively ended the whole project. The Batman arrived in theaters last week to introduce another new Batman to the world in the form of Robert Pattinson, and Keanu Reeves will be heard this summer voicing the Gotham vigilante in DC’s League of Super-Pets, but among all the actors who have played Batman, Bill Murray is one that got away after Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman pitched a movie to the actor that was passed on by the actor.
According to Murray, the project would have seen Murray teaming up with another comedy legend of the 80s, Eddie Murphy, who was wanted to play Robin in the movie. If it had gone ahead, Murray would have only been the second actor to play Batman, following in the footsteps of TV series star Adam West.
However, with the main parties seemingly not on board, the whole project disappeared into obscurity. While speaking to Yahoo Entertainment, Murray explained how “vanity” was essentially the reason that we never saw him on screen as the Dark Knight. He said: “I talked to Eddie Murphy about it and Eddie wanted to play Batman.
That’s as far as the conversation wentI don’t wanna be the Boy Wonder to anybody. Maybe much earlier, when I was a boy. But it was too late for that by the ’80s. Also, I couldn’t do the outfit. Eddie looks good in purple, and I look good in purple. In red and green, I look like one of Santa’s elves.
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