Al Pacino revealed in his memoir Sonny Boy that he once turned down the role of Han Solo in Star Wars. Recently, the Oscar-winning actor reflected on this decision and joked that he was simply doing Harrison Ford a favor. “I said, ‘I think I’m in the mood to make Harrison Ford a career,’” Pacino told Entertainment Weekly while promoting his latest film, The Ritual, alongside co-star Dan Stevens.
Looking back, Pacino spoke about his connection to the “Movie Brats”—a group of young directors who revolutionized Hollywood from the late 1960s to early 1980s. This group included Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, and Brian De Palma. “Zoetrope started in San Francisco with Spielberg and De Palma and Francis Coppola, and Scorsese,” Pacino said. “They were real idealists making great films all over the world. I loved their work.”
At the time, Pacino was starring in a Broadway show when he received the Star Wars script. He admitted that the script confused him. “I thought, I must be out of space myself,” he joked. Pacino sent the script to his friend and mentor, Charlie Loughton, who also did not understand it. “They offered me a fortune, but I don’t know. No, I can’t play something if I don’t speak the language,” Pacino explained.
In the end, things worked out well for everyone. Pacino went on to star in many iconic films such as And Justice for All, Cruising, and Scarface. Meanwhile, Harrison Ford took on the role of Han Solo in the 1977 film Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, which launched him into stardom.
Pacino was not the only actor who passed on the role. Sylvester Stallone auditioned but was rejected, and Kurt Russell also tried out for Han Solo. Burt Reynolds revealed in 2016 that he was offered the role but turned it down. “I 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.”
