The Almost-Stars of ‘Star Wars’

Is a film ever “perfect?” Would it be more or less perfect if it remained identical, but one iconic role was played by a different actor? In a parallel universe, would that film be just as good? Could it be even better?

Thanks to our enduring enthusiasm, we now more about the pre-production, production, and politics of Star Wars than we do about any other movie. We know how the special effects were achieved, we know how many drafts the script when through, we know about the arduous editing process on the first film, and we know exactly which shots were altered and digitally enhanced in the now-standard “Special Editions.” Some would say this abundance of background knowledge takes away a lot of the magic of watching the movie, but the film has saturated pop culture so entirely, it could be argued that knowing about the film is almost more important than seeing it. Nowadays, you can spend more time researching Star Wars than actually watching it.

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And let it not be forgotten that trivia is fun. Learning about your object of affection can, in a way, enhance the experience of watching it. Finding out about minutiae in the production process can, for the extreme fan, make one feel like a part of it. You know the forbidden, obscure knowledge, and that puts you one vicarious step closer to being on the set during the inception of it.

So let us now revel in the obscure trivia. We know who went in for auditions, but who never got the coveted roles in this sci-fantasy tentpole. Let us explore some of these actors who came this close to being the face of your favorite Star Wars characters.

Slideshow: The Almost Stars of ‘Star Wars’

Top Images: Avco Embassy Pictures / 20th Century Fox

Witney Seibold is a contributor to the CraveOnline Film Channel, and co-host of The B-Movies Podcast. You can follow him on “Twitter” at @WitneySeibold, where he is slowly losing his mind.

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