Culture news This Dune 2 actor almost played this flagship Star Wars character. We were on the verge of not having Harrison Ford
Playing one of the key characters in Dune 2 by Denis Villeneuve, this 80-year-old actor could, more than 40 years ago, have played one of the most famous characters of all time.
It sometimes happens that actors or actresses play significant roles in two worlds well known to everyone. Others are very close to reaching this status, before failing at the last step. This is the case of this actor from Dune 2 who could have played one of the icons of cinema.
So close to the goal
Indeed, Christopher Walken, known for having played in Journey to the End of Hell, recently distinguished himself in the cinema in the film which is best placed to win the 2024 Oscar, Dune 2. Playing the Emperor, the actor could have played in a saga well known to all, also with an empire to fight: Star Wars.‘ It’s in an interview given to Vanity Fair that the 80-year-old man declares:
Yes, I auditioned for that. I think it was for Han Solo and if I’m not mistaken my audition partner was Jodie Foster. I auditioned for Star Wars, but about 500 other actors did too.
Indeed, the legendary Carrie Fisher/Harrison Ford duo could never have existed. Although today it seems obvious to see Ford in the shoes of the smuggler Han Solo, Christopher Walken would not have been a bad choice.. From now on, it is part of another SF saga which is, little by little, stepping on the borders of Star Wars.
A case far from isolated
Many other renowned actors could have played legendary roles on the big screen, and thus extended their notoriety even further. We think in particular of Will Smith who was approached to play Neo in Matrix, but who ultimately did not get the role. But it’s not just him, far from it. Both Emma Watson and Emma Stone could have played each other’s roles, Watson in La La Land and Stone in Daughters of Doctor March. We can also talk about John Boyega in Kingsman, John Travolta in Forest Gump or even Angelina Jolie to play the heroine of Gravity; all these world-famous films were on the verge of being very different from what they are today.