Harrison Ford was n’t always one of the big stars in the macrocosm . Back when George Lucas get the green light for " Star Wars , " Ford was an actor taking bit parts and working as a carpenter to pay the bills . Ford and Lucas had worked together briefly on the solidifying of " American Graffiti , " but Ford was n’t even on the tilt of actors Lucas had in nous forHan Solo .
Many actors have said they were considered for the role of Han or even sprain it down . Al Pacino claimsto have been offer the part of Han Solo but resist since he did n’t sympathize the hand . Robert " Freddy Krueger " Englundauditionedfor the part , too , but was turn away for being too new . ( coincidently , Mark Hamill was sleeping on Englund ’s couch at the time and that ’s how he heard about the part of Luke Skywalker . ) Black actorGlynn Turmanwas high on the list and probably would have gotten the part if Toshiro Mifune had accepted the purpose of Obi - Wan Kenobi . In the book " The Making of Star Wars : The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film " by J.W. Rinzler , Lucas explained that if he got a Japanese Obi - Wan , he would have cast a black Han Solo , but Mifune was have-to doe with the film might degrade the role of samurai . Alec Guinness eventually concord to play Obi - Wan Kenobi , and Christopher Walken cursorily became the front - stolon for Han Solo , but Lucas still wanted to explore his pick .
During the casting process , however , Lucas insist on examine all the group he ’d chosen to be the potential Han , Lukeand Leia for " Star Wars " together . Fred Roos , the throw away director , remember Harrison Ford would be gross for the part , but Lucas was adamant that he did n’t want to see anyone he ’d work with before . Since Ford was work as a carpenter , Roos hired him to attend a door in the studio apartment the auditions were to take property in and scheduled Ford to do it when he knew Lucas would be present .
As Lucas and Roos acquire to work on casting the picture show , Ford was there , installing the door . And when they come up dead a Han Solo , Roos convinced Lucas to let Ford sit in for some auditions . ( you could watch part of those original audition on thisYouTube video . )
Lucas slowly realise over three days of this that Ford really was the correct person for the part of Han Solo and ended up throw up him in the role . According to Rinzler writing in " The fashioning of Star Wars , " Lucas still flirted with the theory of go back to opt Christopher Walken after awarding the part to Ford , but things never made it that far . Ford went on to film the movie , and the rest was account .
Because Harrison Ford made Han Solo so iconic , recasting the part for the new " Solo : A Star Wars Story " was gainsay , too . Then - theater director Phil Lord and Chris Miller went through an thorough cast process testing thousands of actors . They eventually choose Alden Ehrenreich . In a2016 interview with USA Today , Miller said of Ehrenreich , " That guy somewhat much get going through an auditory sense pentathlon ; it was like an acting steeplechase . He went against a fate of very secure competitors and was very consistently the guy from arcminute one . He was the first somebody who auditioned out of thousands , and just out of the box , made you believe that someday he ’d turn into the reference we make out . "
At the 2016 Star Wars Celebration Europe convention , Lord and Miller told the assembled consultation ( including this writer ) that it come down to how Ehrenreich reacted when they audition him in costume , beside Chewbacca , in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon . Every other thespian that get under one’s skin to that phase seemed too awed by the prospect of being Han and by the system of weights of the part . But Ehrenreich was more Han about it and allay right into the role like it was no boastful deal . And that won him the part .
devotee will be able to retard out " Solo : A Star Wars Story " in the U.S. on May 25 , 2018 .
