A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was a whole plethora full of planets, flying Death Stars, star-fighters, winged contraptions named after various letters of the alphabet, but mainly and most importantly, humans and creatures of all different shapes and sizes constantly battling over a rising empire. Although the devoted fans of George Lucas’ franchise are completely aware of the secrets hidden between and within the plot line of each Star Wars film, Do You Remember was able to salvage up some juicy secrets of what has gone on behind the scenes of the ever beloved Star Wars saga, and here they are…
- Harrison Ford was not originally supposed to be Han Solo! George Lucas originally wanted to find an A-list actor to play the role, such as Al Pacino or James Caan. Ford worked as an aid to help other actors as they prepped for their auditions. Somehow, Harrison happened to read Han Solo’s lines, and George Lucas was so impressed that he hired Harrison on the spot.
Culturess - The franchise started out as an indie debut, with most of the funding money coming from George Lucas. Because of this lack of funds, he could not afford to pay his actors very much money. Since Harrison Ford was kind of sort of unknown at the time, there wasn’t much money in the jar for his salary intake.
- While Harrison Ford only made a minuscule amount, Alec Guinness, who played Obi-Wan, used his own personal force to negotiate with George Lucas in deal wherein he would earn 2 percent of the box office returns- which equalled out to (to say the least) MILLIONS.
- Despite all the millions of dollars that Guinness took in, he was not that ecstatic about appearing in Star Wars. He was reputedly embarrassed about being associated with the film. He considered Star Wars to be a childish shtick, calling it “fairy tale rubbish.”
- Orson Welles was originally supposed to be voice the character of Darth Vader. While Lucas had at first wanted famous actors to play the roles of Han Solo and Obi-Wan, he did not want someone who was too famous to play Darth Vader, however the part ended up going to James Earl Jones.
- Yoda was almost played by a monkey! Before Frank Oz, famous “muppeteer” took the role, George Lucas originally wanted a monkey to play the part. Everyone began to get on Lucas’ case about the monkey idea being a little too ridiculous, so he eventually gave in and hired Oz.
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The Wrap The mannerisms portrayed on Yoda’s face and wise, laid back persona were characteristics taken from the famous Albert Einstein!
- George Lucas was fined for the rolling-text opening sequence. According to the filmmaking Union rules, movies must list the credits at the beginning of a film or before the film even starts. George Lucas, however, wanted to bring his viewers right into the story. Since the credits in Star Wars films don’t show until the very end of the film, George Lucas was fined for breaking laws of the union.
- Chewbacca’s character was inspired by George Lucas’ Alaskan malamute named Indiana, and presumably the strange half-speak-half-growl language he spoke was also inspired by Lucas’s furry friend.
There are many other secrets hidden behind the scenes of the timeless Star Wars film series, whether it be scandalous money negotiating or roles being taken by unexpected actors, stories behind the production history of the series remains filled with fun facts. Happy anniversary, Star Wars, and may the fourth certainly be with you.
If you know any more secrets from behind the scenes of Star Wars, post them in the comment section below!
