Al Pacino played a number of iconic roles over the years, including Michael Corleone in The Godfather and Tony Montana in Scarface, and he could have had another big part: Han Solo.
Pacino just published a memoir, Sonny Boy, in which he discussed turning down the role that was ultimately famously played by Harrison Ford. After The Godfather, Pacino said Hollywood casting directors would have “let me play anything.” He said he was offered the role of Han Solo and read a script.
However, Pacino told his acting coach and friend, Charlie Laughton, that he “can’t make anything out of this.” Laughton told Pacino he couldn’t either. “So I didn’t do it,” Pacino said of playing Han Solo. All of this information came from Entertainment Weekly’s report on Pacino’s memoir.
Pacino isn’t the only actor who was in the running for Han Solo or turned it down. Burt Reynolds turned it down, saying he later regretted the decision. Sylvester Stallone auditioned for it, and Kurt Russell did as well–you can even watch Russell’s audition tape.
Ford landed the role in the 1974 original Star Wars movie, reprising the part in the film’s sequels, leading up to the character’s death in 2015’s The Force Awakens.
Apart from the Godfather trilogy, Pacino has generally steered clear of movie franchises throughout his career. He did appear in 2007’s Ocean’s Thirteen as the main villain, though.
Pacino earned multiple Academy Award nominations throughout his career, and won the Best Actor award for 1993’s Scent of a Woman. Today, he’s known for his Shrek phone case. Pacino’s memoir includes a number of fascinating stories about his life and career, like the time he injured his penis. He also recently discussed nearly dying from COVID and how he didn’t see a white light–just nothingness.
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