Star Wars' Cast Almost Had a Completely Different Lead, Here's Why It Didn't Happen
The role didn't seem like a big deal compared to a Disney movie the actress had signed on for.
Summary
- Star Wars is one of the most famous movie franchises in the world.
- The film series could have starred a different actress as Princess Leia.
- The actress considered for the role was working on a Disney movie at the time.
Throughout the history of cinema, there have been many outstanding pictures that have had an impact on both the industry and society as a whole. But it's also fair to say that not all of those films are well remembered today. Meanwhile, major movie franchises retain their popularity and continue to fascinate audiences around the world.
Star Wars is definitely one of those franchises whose presence is still very much felt in the industry as new installments continue to be released. Still, it wasn't a given that the cosmic soap opera would become an international success at the time of its release in 1977. But as Star Wars became a cult franchise, its actors were catapulted to stardom. And it seems that the cast could have looked very different, as the producers had a specific actress in mind to portray Princess Leia.
Jodie Foster Was Offered to Play Leia in Star Wars
The fan-favorite actress and two-time Academy Award winner, whose career has spanned decades and whose filmography includes dozens of famous works, was in her heyday in the 1970s. Less than fifteen years old when the first Star Wars film was made, Jodie Foster was seriously considered for the iconic role. But the young actress decided against it because of her existing contractual obligations to Disney, and the role went to Carrie Fisher.
'They were going for younger, you know, Princess Leia but I had a conflict. I was doing a Disney movie and just didn't want to pull out of the Disney movie 'cause I was already on the contract, so I didn't do it. And you know, they did an amazing job. I don't know how good I would've been. I know I might've had different hair. I might've gone with a pineapple,' Jodie Foster shared in a recent interview.
Freaky Friday
Few people know that 2003's Freaky Friday, starring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis, was another adaptation of Mary Rodgers' 1972 novel of the same name. The first screen version of the story was released by Disney in 1976, starring Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris.
Ultimately, Freaky Friday was the movie Foster chose instead of taking on the role of Princess Leia in the budding Star Wars franchise. And while the actress did a brilliant job in the Disney film, it's a huge loss for the world not to have seen her as the fan-favorite character.
Source: YouTube.