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Al Pacino Jokes He Passed on Han Solo to “Do Harrison Ford a Favor”

From The Godfather to a Galaxy Far, Far Away — Almost….
nura
11 Jun 2025, 04:00 PM

Al Pacino might be a legendary name in Hollywood, but even icons miss a few shots — including, apparently, a shot at the Millennium Falcon. While promoting his latest film The Ritual, Pacino opened up about one of the most surprising career decisions he ever made: saying no to Star Wars. Yes, the Oscar-winning star was once offered the role of Han Solo — and turned it down.

al pacino jokes he passed on han solo to “do harrison ford a favor”

“They offered me a fortune,” Pacino told Entertainment Weekly, “but I looked at the script and thought, ‘I don’t understand this.’” The Godfather actor even joked that he passed on the role to help out a fellow actor: “I said, ‘I think I’m in the mood to make Harrison Ford a career.’”

In truth, Pacino was doing Broadway at the time and couldn’t make sense of George Lucas’ now-legendary space opera. “I must be out of space myself,” he laughed. Even after passing it to his mentor Charlie Loughton for a second opinion, the result was the same: “He didn’t get it either,” Pacino said.

Pacino’s decision didn’t exactly tank his career — far from it. He went on to build a legendary filmography that includes Scarface, Dog Day Afternoon, and Scent of a Woman. And as we all know, Ford stepping into the role of Han Solo helped launch him into superstardom with Indiana Jones and beyond.

al pacino jokes he passed on han solo to “do harrison ford a favor”

Pacino also reminisced about his friendships with the "Movie Brats" of the '70s — Coppola, Scorsese, Spielberg, De Palma, and Lucas — a crew of visionary filmmakers who helped reshape American cinema. He even visited Coppola’s American Zoetrope offices before taking on The Godfather.

Pacino wasn’t the only star who missed their chance to pilot the Falcon. Burt Reynolds, Sylvester Stallone, and Kurt Russell were all considered for the role before Ford ultimately made it his own.

Looking back, Pacino doesn’t seem to have any regrets. But he does have a sense of humor about it — and hey, it’s hard to feel bad when you’ve already got a shelf full of awards and one of the most iconic acting careers in history.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

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