With actor Hayden Christensen recently talking about his experience auditioning and getting the role of Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars, two Oscar winning performers have also spoken about their audition experience for the galactic franchise.
When speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, it was revealed this week that Christopher Walken, who recently starred in Dune: Part Two, talked about his experience auditioning for the original Star Wars trilogy, specifically going for the role of Han Solo.
Walken said that there were over 500 people auditioning for that role at the time. Walken did a screen test for the part, but doesn’t remember if he did a scene during that process.
Walken also revealed that he had a partner during the screening process, which was none other than, Academy Award winner Jodie Foster, who has recently spoken about her auditioning process on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
According to another THR article, Foster told Fallon that she both auditioned, and was offered the role of Princess Leia. However, due to her contract with a Disney film at the time, Foster turned down the role.
Foster also pointed out that the age for Princess Leia would be pretty different if she were casted. While the late Carrie Fisher, who ended up playing Princess Leia in the Star Wars franchise, was 19 at the time, Foster says she would have been 13 or 14 during that filming period.
Besides age, if both Foster and Walken were cast in the film, the feeling and connection of these iconic characters would have been completely different to what we know and love now.
But for these two performers, they still had successful careers even without Star Wars being on their resume.
Walken would go on to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in the 1978 film The Deer Hunter. Foster would also win an Oscar for Best Actress in the 1992 film Silence of the Lambs.
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