Behind the Casting: Jodie Foster’s Near Stint as Star Wars’ Princess Leia
The story of Star Wars could have unfolded differently had actress Jodie Foster accepted the original offer to play Princess Leia. On a recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Foster unveils why she declined the iconic role in George Lucas’ original Star Wars trilogy.
The Actress’s Side of the Story
Foster acknowledged on The Tonight Show that she was indeed presented with the chance to portray Leia, a character etched into pop culture history. However, her thirst for galaxies far, far away was quenched due to conflicting schedules with another film project. Interestingly enough, that project was with Disney, the entertainment conglomerate that would later acquire Star Wars.
Foster said, “I was, yeah. They were going for a younger Princess Leia but I had a conflict. I was doing a Disney movie and I just didn’t want to pull out of the Disney movie because I was already under contract. So I didn’t do it. And, you know, they did an amazing job. I don’t know how good I would have been. I might have had different hair. I might have gone with a pineapple.”
Her full interview can be seen here:
Princess Leia’s Reel Journey
The character of Princess Leia, brought to life by the late Carrie Fisher, appeared across various Star Wars installments. These included Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, Episode VII – The Force Awakens, Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, and Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker. Furthermore, younger portrayals of Leia were featured in Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ series, and Star Wars: Rebels.
If you’ve been intrigued by this insight into movie history, enrich your film and TV knowledge with more such fascinating stories on HitPlay, where you can explore curated collections of award-winning movies and television shows. Tap into the worlds of renowned filmmakers, and unlock the secrets behind their classics, all in one place.
