Al Pacino Reveals He Turned Down Han Solo Role in Star Wars

NEW YORK, NY — Al Pacino recently revealed that he turned down the role of Han Solo in the 1977 film Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope because he didn’t understand the script. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Pacino remarked, “I think I’m in the mood to make a career.”

The legendary actor reminisced about his collaborations with a group of influential directors in the 1960s and ’70s known as New Hollywood, which included names like Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars.

“They were real idealists coming into the ’70s with great films all over the globe,” Pacino said. However, when he read the Star Wars script, he felt lost. “I thought, I don’t understand,” he recalled. “I must be [in] out of space myself.”

Pacino sought advice from his “friend and mentor” Charlie Laughton, who also failed to make sense of the screenplay. “He was pretty wise and he said, ‘I don’t get it, Al. I dunno. I don’t get it,’” Pacino shared. He ultimately decided, “No, I can’t play something if I don’t speak the language.”

Consequently, the iconic role went to Harrison Ford, which helped him rise to stardom. Ford acknowledged later that the film’s premise might have seemed “odd” initially, mentioning the film’s unique characters, including “a seven-foot-tall man in a dog suit.”

Ford described his own reaction to the script, saying, “At that point in my career, it didn’t matter to me that the film would become hugely successful.” However, the Star Wars franchise transformed Ford’s life, granting him opportunities he never anticipated.

Though other actors like Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell were also in the running for the role, Burt Reynolds noted his own hesitation. “I just didn’t want to play that kind of role at the time,” Reynolds said. “Now I regret it. I wish I would have done it.”

Following Star Wars, Ford gained further acclaim with roles in Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981 and the cult-classic Blade Runner the following year. Meanwhile, Pacino continued to make his mark with films like Bobby Deerfield and And Justice for All, earning multiple Oscar nominations.