Al Pacino admits he turned down iconic Star Wars role because he 'didn't understand it'
Pacino claims he made Harrison Ford a star by turning down an iconic Star Wars role
Al Pacino admitted he turned down an iconic Star Wars role because he 'didn't understand it', and was unaware that the movie would be a massive blockbuster.
The 82-year-old actor who will turn 83 in two days on 25 April, has been reminiscing about his life and career in his memoir.
Pacino revealed a cheeky detail in a recent interview with David Rubenstein, an American lawyer and billionaire businessman at the 92NY New York.
The Godfather actor spoke publicly about why he decided to 'turn down' the iconic role of Han Solo in Star Wars at the peak of his career.
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Pacino was offered numerous lead actor roles following his appearances in classics like The Godfather (1972), Serpico (1973), The Godfather Part II (1974) and Dog Day Afternoon (1975).
As part of its 'People Who Inspire Us' series, The 92nd Street Y, New York celebrates its 150th anniversary by showcasing legendary figures who have had a significant impact on the world.
The Scarface actor was asked if he 'regrets' passing on any role in his career and replied: "I turned down Star Wars (1977).
"So I was there and all of a sudden they gave me a script that was called Star Wars,' he said of the role of playing Han Solo... 'I said, "I got the script, they offered me so much money, but I don't understand it."
According to the Hollywood reporter, Pacino joked and continued: "I gave Harrison Ford a career, which he has never thanked me for."
Star Wars went on to become a cultural phenomenon, with the original film grossing $775.8 million at the worldwide box office against just an $11 million budget.
Harrison Ford, who played the lead character Han Solo after Pacino passed the offer, was struggling with supporting roles until Star Wars came around.
Ford went on to reprise the role of Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return of The Jedi (1983) and again in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015).
Regardless of 'turning down' a memorable role, the 82-year-old has countless accolades to his name including an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, and two Primetime Emmy Awards - making him one of few actors to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting.
It would come as a shock to many, Pacino was only nominated for the Supporting Actor category for the first Godfather film, which certainly didn't go down well with the actor.
Marlon Brando, who played the role of the head of the family, Vito Corleone, won the Best Actor award at the Oscars.
However, Pacino refuted a long-standing rumour that he was 'dissatisfied' with the nominations when questioned about his reaction to the same.
He said: "How does a story like that get out?" Pacino said, with a tone of disbelief. 'I wasn’t upset — are you kidding me?"
Topics: Celebrity, Film and TV, Oscars
Rashi Agarwal