Harrison Ford has offered a few choice words of advice to the actors aspiring to play the young Han Solo in the upcoming Star Wars spin-off film.
Ford, 73 – who played the galactic bounty hunter in the franchise – said he was flattered that people want to take on the character but joked that they shouldn’t build themselves up on excitement for the role.
Chat show host Ellen DeGeneres show told him that a string of actors are in the running to play Solo. Ford replied: “Really? I’m flattered.”
And does he have any advice for actors wanting the role?
“Don’t do it!” he joked.
“Things look like they’re going swimmingly, but after 25 or 30 years they let you go.”
Ford’s comments come on the back of him revealing that he’d spent 30 years arguing with Lucasfilm bosses about killing off the character.
Speaking during a Q&A via Entertainment Weekly’s Tumblr account he said: “I think it’s a fitting use of the character. I’ve been arguing for Han Solo to die for about 30 years, not because I was tired of him or because he’s boring, but his sacrifice for the other characters would lend gravitas and emotional weight.”
Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams also recently reflected on killing off the character and revealed Ford’s initial reaction when he’d learned of Solo’s fate.
“He was very thoughtful about it, and he got it. He understood why it was so powerful. And I think part of it was because Harrison himself — Han, the character— has so much ahead of him. Has so much life and fight and adventure—that this was the time to do that thing. If we felt like the character was sort of at the end of his days, it wouldn’t have been as powerful. The thing that made it potentially meaningful wasn’t just who does it and how it happened, but that it’s a character that is so vital that is meeting his demise.”
“Harrison’s always said that he knew that Han needed to have clear utility, and that’s what he wanted to do. And that’s why he argued back in the day that Han should die and George [Lucas] didn’t want to do it. And I don’t know what his utility in that regard would’ve been, though I’m sure Harrison would’ve come up with a clever pitch for it. But in this case there was such a clear utility— it’s about bringing this new villain to the fore, and there’s nothing I could think of that is more hideous than patricide, especially when it comes to Han Solo.”
Speaking to Jimmy Kimmel, the actor was asked about his return to playing Indian Jones and he said: “The opportunity to work with Steven again on this character which has brought pleasure to so many… Not to mention me. It’s fun, it’s great fun to play this character. It’s great fun to work with Steven, I’m looking forward to it.”
Wants to play Indy, doesn’t want to play Solo. Sounds about right.
The Han Solo film is slated for release in 2018 and the fifth Indiana Jones will arrive in 2019
Source: Squareeyed
Irwin Fletcher
I'm an LA journalist who really lives for his profession. I have also published work as Jane Doe in various mags and newspapers across the globe. I normally write articles that can cause trouble but now I write for FTN because Nerds are never angry, so I feel safe.
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