Jodie Foster Almost Took The Role Of One of Cinema’s Favorite Fictional Characters

Jodie Foster confirmed on Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show that she was almost going to play Princess Leia in Star Wars. However, she turned down the role due to a contract with Disney. Fallon picked up on fans’ conversation about her decision and presented her with the question on air.

Although the movie she picked over Star Wars is unconfirmed, speculations indicate it was Freaky Friday due to its release period. Although accepting the role may have steered the course of her career to potentially awesome heights, Foster is having a swell time in Hollywood with two Oscars to her name.

More on why Jodie Foster turned down ‘Star Wars’ offer

Per all the rave online, Fallon asked Foster, “You’ve been in so many iconic roles, and we love what you do. But I saw this on the internet— you were offered the role of Princess Leia in ‘Star Wars,’ is that true?” to which she responded positively and revealed she “had a conflict” that prompted her choice.

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Foster said they were “going for a younger Princess Leia,” but at the time, she was filming a Disney movie. “I just didn’t want to pull out of the Disney movie because I was already under contract,” she explained. The 61-year-old actress also commended the late Carrie Fisher, who eventually got the role, for doing “an amazing job.”

What might have been?

Foster joked that had she accepted the role, she “might have had different hair” or “might have gone with a pineapple. I don’t know how good I would have been.” Carrie was nineteen years old during filming, unlike Foster, who was at most 14 at the time and 15 upon the movie’s release in the ‘70s.

Carrie reprised her role in subsequent releases like Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi. Sadly, she died before The Rise of Skywalker filming started, but unreleased footage from her last film was used to fill her place. Foster, on the other hand, is now headlining season four of HBO’s True Detective and might add another Oscar to her stash for her work in Netflix’s Nyad.