Han Solo
Snagging himself the role of Indiana Jones wasn’t the first time Harrison Ford had been cast in a role that was meant for someone else, he almost wasn’t Han Solo either. When George Lucas was looking to cast the lovable but cynical smuggler, he (like with Indiana Jones) “wanted new faces” and Ford had previously worked with Lucas on American Graffiti. However, the studio wanted an actor that was hugely popular at the time.
Coming off his star making role in The Godfather, Al Pacino was a hot property, so he was asked to take the role of Solo. Unfortunately, (not for Ford) Pacino later admitted that when he read the script for the epic space-opera, he found it too confusing and jokingly described his 1975 decision as “another missed opportunity”. We wonder if Pacino would have shot first?
