Alternative Star Wars Casting

Dreamed up by Dave B and my own self.

After learning that Al Pacino turned down the role of Han Solo in Star Wars, we researched (invented) a list of other actors who turned down parts in the "overrated" series.

• Timothy Dalton as Luke Skywalker - would have played him for the first two films before Pierce Brosnan took over for Return of the Jedi.
• Obi Wan Kenobi was almost played by little known actor Steve Lager after an administrative error.
• John Wayne was approached for the part of Han Solo. After he turned down the part (reportedly because he was "drunk") the script had to be re-written to remove the 30+ random punchings.
• Orson Welles as Jabba the Hutt - auditioned, but failed due to being too much of an overbearing presence for the part. Would have played the part in a mouldy sleeping bag to emulate having the body of a slug.
• Richard Burton as Greedo - just because we had to fit him in somewhere.
• A German Shepherd stretched on a rack and force to walk on two legs as Chewbacca. His parts had to be re-filmed after PETA burned down the set and impaled the second unit director on a pitchfork.
• Michael Caine turned down the chance to play C-3PO because he objected to having to wear a gold jacket and trousers and walk around like something from Thunderbirds.
• The Emperor - Vincent Price with lines drawn on his face with a chunky marker. Would have been brilliant, but at the time was busy filming "Arch-vicar 3, The Christening".
• Telly Savalas in a wheelie bin as R2-D2.
• Gary Oldman as Lando Calrissian. Would have twitched and talked to himself a lot.
• Brian Blessed as Darth Vader. Again, he had to be in there somewhere.
• Yoda wasn't originally planned to be a puppet, bur rather Ian Holm with green face paint and prosthetics.

Perhaps more writings another time, perhaps no.