The role of Han Solo inStar Warswas initially offered to legendary actor Al Pacino, with theGodfatherstar recently revealing why he turned it down. Since his debut in 1977, Han Solo is often considered among thegreatestStar Warscharactersof all time. This is largely due to the performance of Harrison Ford, who embodied the suave, cool, rugged nature of George Lucas' smuggler with a golden heart. UpcomingStar Warsmovies will move beyond Han, but his legacy remains.
Interestingly, this legacy could have had a different face attached to it, as revealed toEntertainment Weekly(viaThe Independent). The face in question belongs to Al Pacino, the legendary actor known for his roles in films likeHeat, The Godfather,Scarface, and many other well-known Hollywood films, who revealed why he turned down the role of Han Solo in the 1970s:
“They handed me this script, and I thought, ‘I don’t understand.'[I thought], I must be out of space myself. I looked at this thing and I sent it to Charlie Loughton, my friend and mentor, actually. I said, ‘What do you make of this?’ He was pretty wise and he said, ‘I don’t get it, Al. I dunno. I don’t get it.’ I said, ‘Well, I don’t either; what are we going to do?’ They offered me a fortune, but I don’t know. No, I can’t play something if I don’t speak the language.”
In an era whereStar Warswas not a household name and many were unsure if the film would even work, it seems Pacino was inclined to agree with those doubters. This is not to slight Pacino, as no one - not even George Lucas himself - predicted the behemothStar Warswould become. Nonetheless, it is interesting to know an actor of Pacino’s caliber was offered the role of the franchise’s lovable scoundrel.
What Would Al Pacino’s Han Solo Have Been Like?
With this in mind, it is interesting to wonder what Al Pacino’s Han would have been like had he taken theStar Warsrole. Pacino is a method actor, so there is no denying he could have played the character well and would have gone to great lengths to do so. That said, Pacino is known for his more subtle, understated performances. While he has had some performances that are loud and bombastic, Pacino’s most popular roles include quieter characters of great complexity and moral ambiguity.
Han Solo somewhat applies to this archetype, though it is admittedly difficult to imagine Pacino in the role. If he had taken it on, Han could potentially have been a little less eccentric and overly confident than he was, with Pacino bringing that classic sense of gravitas to the role. However, it is easy to say this in hindsight after watching decades of Pacino’s most famous movies.
Let’s Face It, Harrison Ford Was The Perfect Han
Not Many Could Have Embodied Han’s Best Aspects
Although Pacino would surely have been great as Han Solo, Harrison Ford proved to be perfect for the character. Ford embodies the easygoing nature of Han perfectly, without losing the heart beneath the surface. The role is what launched Ford’s career, after all, with the actor and character now being synonymous. For these reasons alone, Ford was the perfect choice forStar Warsand Han Solo, though it is undeniably intriguing to imagine what an actor like Al Pacino would have been like in the role.
