Legendary actor Al Pacino has joked that Harrison Ford owes his career to him, and he's not entirely wrong. A long time ago — and not in a galaxy far, far away, but in California around 1975 — The Godfather star was offered the role of Han Solo in Star Wars, but turned it down, admitting he didn't understand the sci-fi epic that George Lucas was making at the time. Instead, the role went to Ford, who had few credited roles at the time, and the rest is cinematic history.
According to Pacino (during a 2018 Q&A in Los Angeles), his film Dog Day Afternoon was in pre-production when he was given a copy of the Star Wars script. After reading it, however, he admitted, "I didn't get it. I didn't know why I'd do it." Passing on the role made Harrison Ford a global icon with numerous hit films to follow, a twist of fate not lost on Pacino. "I gave Harrison Ford his career," he joked. "I'm gonna have him pay me back. I'm gonna have him build my house!"
He made similar statements at a 2014 Toronto Film Festival Q&A, saying, "At that time in my career I was offered everything... So they offered me this movie. And I remember not understanding it when I read it." Interestingly, neither Lucasfilm nor George Lucas have ever confirmed that Al Pacino was offered the role, but it's certainly a hypothetical worth imagining.
Pacino Was Offered the Role of Han Solo
In Pacino's defense, it should be noted that Lucas was still revising the script in 1975, and at one point, Han Solo had green skin and gills. The final script wasn't finished until March 1976, just before the movie began filming. It's likely that the script Pacino read wasn't the classic story we all know now. Harrison Ford's casting in Star Wars wasn't announced until May 1976, so there were likely many changes by that point.
Now, more than 40 years after Star Wars changed cinema forever, the idea of Pacino at the helm of the Millennium Falcon may seem ridiculous, but it made sense at the time. While his casting may have certainly changed the dynamics of the film's ensemble, it would have also had ripple effects throughout Hollywood for years to come.
We do know that hundreds of actors were considered for Han, although it's not clear who was responsible for offering Pacino the role. Lucas has repeatedly said he wanted to cast fresh faces for the leads in the film, and although Alan Ladd Jr. (the head of 20th Century Fox) supported Lucas' vision, executives at the studio were nervous about the $8 million budget for the film. It's likely the studio approached Pacino to guarantee some star power and spur ticket sales.
Finding the Stars for Star Wars
According to the documentary Empire of Dreams (available to stream on Disney+), casting the original Star Wars was a massive endeavor. Lucas spent six to seven months on the process, and saw thousands of potential actors for the leads. The young director actually combined his casting efforts with his friend and filmmaker, Brian De Palma, who needed actors for the big-screen adaptation of the Stephen King horror novel Carrie. Since both films needed young actors from 18-29, De Palma and Lucas held casting sessions together.
With Pacino out of the picture, a number of actors screen-tested for the role, including Kurt Russell, Perry King, Christopher Walken, and Burt Reynolds. Lucasfilm has even released footage of some of those tests, but an unlikely actor won the part: Harrison Ford. Lucas had actually prevented Ford from auditioning, as the two had worked together on American Graffiti, and Lucas was set on finding a "new face" for the role.
Fans can thank Fred Roos for getting Ford cast. Roos was a producer at Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope, the production company where auditions were held. Coppola and Lucas were close friends, and American Zoetrope produced THX 1138, Lucas' first film. Roos thought Ford was great for the role, and hired him to install a door at the American Zoetrope offices, as Ford was working as a carpenter at the time, having all but given up being an actor. As Roos hoped, Lucas saw him and asked him to participate in auditions, although not the way Roos hoped.
Lucas asked Ford to read lines to the auditioning actors, and, as Ford explained it, "It became my task to explain to the other actors who were coming along just what it was that these sides were meant to be about." Lucas quickly realized that Ford's reading of Han's lines were perfect, however, and he won the role.
What If... Al Pacino Played Han Solo?
While it's hard to imagine Al Pacino in Star Wars, considering the roles he had played at the time, it's understandable why he was considered to portray Han. Lucas had always planned for Han Solo to be older than Luke and Leia, and be more world-weary and cynical. While Ford nailed the sarcastic cynicism, 1970s Pacino was also an appealing choice to play the smuggler.
At this point in his career, Pacino had yet to play the over-the-top, scenery-chewing characters he would play in Scarface, Scent of a Woman, and The Devil's Advocate. In 1975, Pacino was fresh off of Serpico, where he played a gritty but charismatic New York cop, sympathetic yet tough as nails. That's likely the performance which made him an appealing choice for Han, and the popularity of The Godfather would ensure movie fans would show up to see him.
Had Pacino been cast, it would have likely changed the tone of the Star Wars trilogy. The film itself may not have been as humorous, as Pacino's portrayal may have been far more serious and grounded. Most of the film's jokes come from the droids and Ford's performance, so it may have lost its light touch with Pacino in the cast. The unique chemistry between actors that made Star Wars so fun may have been lost, even with an actor of Pacino's caliber.
In addition, Harrison Ford did not initially sign on for a full trilogy, and he almost didn't appear in Return of the Jedi, feeling that his character had little to do. That's one of the reasons Han's fate was left hanging at the end of The Empire Strikes Back: Lucas wanted an "out" if Ford didn't return. While he did eventually sign on, it's possible that Pacino may have refused to do the sequel, which would have severely changed both the original and sequel trilogies. Besides The Godfather films, Al Pacino has never reprised his role in a sequel.
The Butterfly Effect of Han Solo's Casting
Consider also that Harrison Ford's life would have been radically different. The actor went from almost quitting the business to becoming one of the most recognized faces on Earth. Raiders of the Lost Ark may not have been made, and if it had, Tom Selleck may have played Indiana Jones, as he was an original choice for the role. Selleck had committed to the Magnum P.I. pilot, however, opening the door for Ford.
Pacino's casting would likely have affected the other roles as well. During the casting process, Lucas mixed-and-matched actors during multiple readings, looking for the best chemistry. Had Pacino been cast, Lucas may have decided to go with other actors for Luke and Leia. William Katt (The Greatest American Hero) was up for the role of Luke, but was cast in Carrie instead. Terri Nunn (lead singer of the band Berlin) also tested for the role, but Harrison Ford reportedly did not like her, and she didn't get the role. Cindy Williams (Laverne & Shirley) was also considered, and may have been a better fit with Pacino in the cast.
The "Butterfly Effect" possibilities of casting Al Pacino in Star Wars could be discussed ad nauseam, but it seems that this was the rare moment in which we all received the best possible outcome. Harrison Ford became an iconic movie star with a memorable performance as Han Solo, opening the door to multiple blockbusters in the decades since. Al Pacino still managed to become one of the greatest actors of our generation without appearing in Star Wars, although he still feels Ford owes him a house.