21 Actors You Didn't Know Were Almost Cast In Star Wars

8. Christopher Walken Was Almost Han Solo

Considering how Harrison Ford eventually played Han Solo - as the cocky, no-nonsense space pirate with a tongue as quick as his blaster - the very idea of either Christopher Walken or Nick Nolte playing the same character is somewhat jarring to say the least, but both were hotly considered. Nolte's inclusion would have probably lead to a gruffer, less loveable rogue, whose relationship with Leia might have been a more difficult sell (though this is the same man who was voted People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive in 1992, somehow), but Walken's would likely have been a lot more odd from top to bottom. Though he is undoubtedly a great actor, Walken isn't really one for playing normal character types, and he tends to flourish when there's weirdness in the brief, and he tends to bring a brand of intensity that would probably have been at odds with the typical image of Solo, though perhaps that is simply more to do with Ford's performance than any character expectations. One missed opportunity that won't go away is the fact that Walken tends to add dancing sequences to his performances, whether the script demands it or not, which would have just been glorious.