21 Actors You Didn't Know Were Almost Cast In Star Wars
12. James Caan Was Almost Han Solo
James Caan had a habit of turning down so-called plumb roles over the years. Not only did he negotiate his way out of Close Encounters Of The Third Kind by demanding $1 million plus 10% of the gross if he accepted the role, he also said no to MASH, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and Apocalypse Now, and notoriously passed on Superman, despite the fact that he admitted that Marlon Brando had begged him to take the role. Added to that list is Han Solo, a role he apparently turned down - presumably partly for similar reasons to Superman, since he didn't want to do multiple instalments of that (or wear the super suit) - before Harrison Ford as cast. When asked by Howard Stern why he turned the role down Caan replied: "They didn't want an actor, that's why they got Harrison Ford." Burn.
11. Paul Walker Was Almost Anakin Skywalker
The departed Fast & Furious star was passed over for the role of the young Darth Vader after he auditioned in the late '90s, but missed out partly because he was considered too old by George Lucas much to his later dismay:
Aw yeah, I wish I was Anakin. Cmon man? Be a Jedi Knight?
Like Walker, fellow auditioners Colin Hanks, Michael Angarano and Jonathan Brandis were also turned down because it was somehow deemed that Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen had shown the most chemistry in the auditions. Clearly buoyed by that revelation, Christensen obviously then promptly forgot how to act.
