Harrison Ford is arguably one of the most beloved actors in the history of cinema, having endeared himself through his performances in countless films and more recently, TV shows. While his performances in the Indiana Jones franchise, Witness, Air Force One and more are lauded, many revere him for playing Han Solo in the Star Wars movies. It’s hard to imagine anyone else portraying the lovable space smuggler, yet he almost didn't land the job. There’s an interesting story behind Ford’s casting, and it involves a carpenter gig.
There are plenty of fun facts about Harrison Ford that fans should know about, but I’d argue that the situation that led to him landing the role of Han Solo is one of the best. Of course, before we dive right into that, some context needs to be provided. More specifically, we need to discuss just how the Blade Runner icon found his way onto George Lucas’ radar in the first place. So let’s jump in and discuss the origins behind one of the greatest film collaborations of all time and one of the best casting choices ever made.
Harrison Ford And George Lucas First Worked Together On A Beloved Period Piece
Several years before the public knew what a Jedi was or could even conceive of the concept of the Force, Mr. Lucas made American Graffiti. Produced by Francis Ford Coppola, the 1973 film was set in 1962 and centered on a group of recent high school graduates during the last night of their summer vacation. Lucas’ nostalgic movie was critical and financial success while also paving the way for future high school movies. It also bolstered the careers of rising actors of the time, such as Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard and Mackenzie Phillips.
Among that youthful ensemble was also a performer by the name of Harrison Ford, who’d only appeared in a handful of movies by that time (and even went uncredited in a few of those). Ford played the role of Bob Falfa, a street racer who had his sights set on a one-on-one match with fellow driver John Milner. While Ford didn’t appear in the film long, his role was indeed memorable and did bring the fresh-faced actor some notoriety.
However, that major opportunity nearly had a negative impact on his professional trajectory. That’s because it nearly stood in the way of him being able to join the galaxy far, far away.
How Exactly Was Harrison Ford Cast In Star Wars?
By 1976, George Lucas had begun pre-production on his second ambitious sci-fi motion picture, which fans now know as Star Wars. The filmmaker seemed to have a very distinct vision for the flick, which extended to his method of casting the characters. With that, he apparently had one rule – he wouldn’t cast anyone that he’d worked with before. While speaking with Vanity Fair (in a video shared to YouTube) in 2020, Harrison Ford recalled his experience being cast as Han Solo and emphasized the decision Lucas had come to:
I had already done American Graffiti with George Lucas. George Lucas made it known that he was not interested in working with anybody that he’d worked with in American Graffiti, that he was looking for new faces.
The door definitely seemed to be closed for the then-up-and-coming actor at that point, but another one opened (figuratively and literally). During the early years of his career, the Working Girl alum worked as a carpenter to support himself. And, as fate would have it, he was hired to complete a job that put him in proximity to the casting work that was being done for Han Solo. As he further explained to VF:
I was working on an elaborate portico entrance to Francis Ford Coppola’s offices, working as a carpenter when George walked in with Richard Dreyfuss to begin the first of the interviews for Star Wars.
At this point, you’re probably wondering: “so how did the carpenter/rising actor manage to nab his role as one of the best Star Wars characters?” Well, that good fortune was initiated by what the Patriot Games star referred to as “a favor” while speaking with Esquire:
Later, I was asked by the producer to help them read lines with candidates for all the parts. Don’t know whether I read with people who were reading for Han Solo—can’t remember. I read with quite a few princesses. But there was no indication or forewarning that I might be considered for this part. It was just a favor. And then of course they offered me the part.
The rest is, as they say, movie history! No one could’ve predicted just how Harrison Ford would fare in what would become one of the most influential of George Lucas’ movies. Of course, it’s reasonable to say everything turned out just fine.
Harrison Ford’s Han Solo Can Be Shifty But His Legacy As The Character Isn’t
Following Star Wars' release in 1977, Harrison Ford as well as his co-stars received considerable attention. The success of the now-seminal sci-fi film would spawn two sequels – 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back and 1983’s Return of the Jedi. Ford would reprise his role as Han Solo in both sequels. And, of course, he’d play Solo on the big screen again in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which hit theaters in 2015. That film would fulfil Ford’s wish to have Solo die, though the character would posthumously return briefly in 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker.
It goes without saying that Mr. Ford has more than cemented himself within the history of cinema, and that’s in great part due to his performance as Han. Even now, it’s wild to think that his casting began not simply with his involvement in American Graffiti but in earnest, with a carpentry job. That’s an amazing story – and one that those who currently enjoy Ford’s work (and will in the future) should always appreciate.
Harrison Ford’s performances as Han Solo are available to stream with a Disney+ subscription. Fans out there should also be sure to remain in the know when it comes to upcoming Star Wars movies.
