8. Orson Welles Was Originally Supposed To Provide His Voice
Believe it or not, but Darth Vader very nearly existed without what is arguably his most defining feature: James Earl Jones' voice. Back when George Lucas was coming up with ideas for Vader's vocals, he stumbled upon what he believed to be the perfect choice: Orson Welles, the legendary director famed for such classic works as Citizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons, had exactly the kind of strange, commanding and majestic voice needed to bring the character to life. But then he changed his mind, thinking that Welles' dulcet tones would have been far too obvious. He wanted somebody less well-known. Eventually, he opted for Jones, and the rest - as they say - is cinematic legend. Not that Welles would have been a bad pick, of course: he really brought a sense of gravitas to that Transformers movie.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
