Dune: Part Two’s Christopher Walken Recalls Auditioning For Star Wars Alongside Jodie Foster

It’s been nearly 47 years since Star Wars first hit theaters, and fans of the beloved franchise couldn’t imagine any other actors playing the iconic roles of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher). Of course, a lot of famous actors auditioned for the now-iconic roles. We’ve heard a lot of stars reflect on their failed Star Wars auditions, and the latest name to recall their experience is Christopher Walken. You can currently catch the Oscar-winning actor in Dune: Part Two as Emperor Shaddam IV. Recently, Walken spoke with Vanity Fair about the new film and reflected on his Hollywood history. Not only did he audition to play Han Solo in Star Wars, but he read for the part with Oscar-winner Jodie Foster. 

“I think it was for Han Solo,” Walken recalled. “Yes, I auditioned for it. And if I’m not mistaken, my partner in the audition was – I think this is true – it was Jodie Foster … I think we did a screen test. I’m not sure we did a scene. Maybe we just sat in front of, in those days, those old videotape cameras … I did audition for Star Wars, but so did about 500 other actors. It was lots of people doing that.” 

Foster also recently spoke about her Star Wars audition while appearing on The Tonight Show, and revealed she was offered the part of Princess Leia. 

“They were going for a younger Princess Leia but I had a conflict,” Foster revealed. “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 … And they did an amazing job,” Foster added of Fisher’s performance. “I don’t know how good I would have been. I might have had different hair. I might have gone with a pineapple.”

What Is Dune: Part Two About?

Dune: Part Two will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee. 

The big-screen epic Dune: Part Two includes Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Léa Seydoux, with Stellan Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling, and Javier Bardem. Denis Villeneuve directed from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jon Spaihts based on Frank Herbert‘s iconic novel. 

Dune: Part Two is now playing in theaters.