As one of the most famous performers in history, Al Pacino has had no shortage of incredible roles that have helped cement him as a legend of the big screen. Many facts have emerged about Pacino over the years, including information about his friendship with Robert de Niro. Pacino has had his flops, but at the end of the day, he is as accomplished as it gets.
Back in the day, Al Pacino had the chance to take part in a little film called Star Wars, but he wound up not taking the role! What in the world was he thinking?
So, which character was Pacino in the running to play? Let’s head back to the 70s and see which character Al Pacino totally missed out on!
Pacino Has It In The Bag
Star Wars is one of the greatest pieces of cinema history and it still entertains people after being around for decades. In hindsight, it seems like any person would be nuts to pass up on the chance to be in the franchise, but Al Pacino famously did this back in the 70s.
It is important to understand the context of the situation, of course. Al Pacino, during this time, was a massive star in the film industry thanks to appearing in The Godfather. That film is considered to be arguably the best film of all time, and it goes without saying that any studio would want to cash in on a star from the film. Turns out, this was the line of thinking of George Lucas and the folks behind Star Wars.
In an interview with MTV, Pacino would say, “I was in The Godfather. They didn’t care if I was right or wrong for the role, if I could act or not act.”
These are pretty strong words from Pacino, and it goes to show that one great role is all it takes for someone to be offered the world on a platter. Star Wars was an unknown commodity and no one knew what it would become, so it’s totally understandable that they would see his Godfather performance and want to cash in as quickly as possible.
Despite the courting, Pacino would turn down the role, and the role he was up for wound up being as legendary as it gets.
Al Pacino: Scruffy Looking Nerf Herder
Despite being in the running for a major role in Star Wars, Al Pacino went ahead and passed on it. This wound up being incredibly fortunate for Harrison Ford, who landed the role of Han Solo and turned into a massive movie star in the process.
For many, it is practically impossible to picture anyone other than Harrison Ford as Han Solo, but the studio was intent on Al Pacino playing the part. Pacino is an amazing actor, but Harrison Ford wound up being too good of a match for the role. Despite having everything in the bag, Pacino moved on.
When speaking with MTV, Pacino would say, “I remember not understanding (the script) when I read it.”
Interestingly, Alec Guinness who famously played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the trilogy was less than thrilled with the script. According to ComicBook, the talented Guinness wrote a letter to his wife while filming Star Wars, and he was quite honest about the script.
He would say, “Can't say I'm enjoying the film — new rubbish dialogue reaches me every other day on wages of pink paper — and none of it makes my character clear or even bearable.”
Thankfully, everything would work out for the unknown space opera in the end, but one has to wonder how Pacino feels about missing out on Han Solo!
His Feelings About Missing Out On That Han Solo Legacy
Naturally, missing out on a role like Han Solo would be devastating for many actors out there. After all, one big role is all it takes to break into the industry and to secure a future. Al Pacino, despite the massive amount of success that he has had, has certainly expressed his feelings about Han Solo and the role of a lifetime.
When talking to MTV, Pacino was able to laugh off missing out on the role, but we have to imagine that it still stings a little bit.
Pacino would say, “Another missed opportunity!”
According to Independent, other actors were also considered for Han Solo, including Jack Nicholson, Robert de Niro, Burt Reynolds, and James Caan. While they all had plenty of talent between them, Harrison Ford was the right choice for the film.
According to SlashFilm, Pacino has expressed interest in playing a character in the MCU, and we can only hope that this will happen one day. It’s one opportunity that he won’t pass on.
While Pacino will always have an incredible legacy in the movie industry, having Han Solo on his resume would have certainly made things a bit sweeter! It also would have made him a whole lot richer.