7. Christopher Lee Was Almost Grand Moff Tarkin
Though he was eventually cast as the supremely powerful Count Dooku in George Lucas' prequel trilogy - a role he was assured by the director would involve having a lot of fun - Christopher Lee was courted for a role in the franchise long before that. Given his prowess in playing menacing, grand villains, it was inevitable that Lee would eventually become part of the Star Wars series, because of its portrayal of extreme forms of good and evil, and apparently the statuesque actor was initially offered the chance to play Grand Moff Tarkin in A New Hope. Ultimately he decided against taking the role on - somewhat atypically, since his CV seems to suggest he said no to very, very few offers - but he did suggest his friend and frequent colleague Peter Cushing for the role. Incidentally, both Lee and Darth Vader actor David Prowse both played Frankenstein's monster in different adaptations opposite Cushing, offering Lee another link to the Star Wars universe before he was cast as Darth Tyranus.