Casting What-Ifs
The original casting search is reviewed across Luke, Leia, Han, Obi-Wan, Vader, Chewbacca, and physical Vader.
In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 01:05:10Read transcript
- Lucas and De Palma auditioned actors together for Star Wars and Carrie, producing overlapping candidates.
- John Travolta, William Cat, Robby Benson, Kurt Russell, and Charles Martin Smith are among the discussed Luke possibilities.
- Andrew Stevens is said to have competed with Hamill for both The Oregon Trail and Star Wars.
- Karen Allen, Amy Irving, Cindy Williams, Linda Pearl, and Joe Foster are discussed as Leia possibilities, with uncertainty around some claims.
- Russell is said to have auditioned for both Luke and Han because his age placed him between the roles.
- Jack Nicholson is an intriguing Han thought experiment, while James Kahn and Al Pacino later claimed to have declined the role.
- Richard Dreyfuss was reportedly considered for the voice of one of the droids.
- The lead actor from many Kurosawa films reportedly declined the mentor role because he feared it would diminish samurai cinema.
- Orson Welles was considered for Vader’s voice but rejected as too recognizable; James Earl Jones was used without an initial screen credit.
- Peter Mayhew and David Prowse were offered a choice between Chewbacca and physical Vader and selected the good and bad roles respectively.