It is difficult to picture anyone other than Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in ‘Star Wars‘. Her performance turned the fearless princess into one of the most beloved characters in film history. However, before Fisher landed the role, another future Oscar winner had the chance to bring Leia to life on the big screen.
That actress was Jodie Foster. Years later, Foster revealed that she was offered the part when the filmmakers were looking for a much younger Princess Leia. However, an existing commitment to a Disney film forced her to pass on the opportunity.
Jodie Foster Explains Why She Passed On Princess Leia
Foster confirmed the long-running casting story during an appearance on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Jimmy Fallon asked whether it was true that she had once been offered the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars.
“You’ve been in so many iconic roles, and we love what you do,” Fallon said. “But I saw this on the internet — you were offered the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars, is that true?”
Foster replied, “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.”
At the time, Foster was only 13 and 14 years old while the original Star Wars was being filmed. She was 15 when the movie hit theaters in 1977. In the end, the role went to Carrie Fisher, who was 19 at the time of filming, making Princess Leia much older than the version the filmmakers had initially considered.
Foster Thinks Carrie Fisher Was The Right Choice
Although Foster missed the chance to join the ‘Star Wars‘ franchise, she has no regrets about how things turned out. Looking back, she praised the final casting choice and admitted that she is not sure she could have played the role as well as Fisher did.
“And they did an amazing job,” Foster continued. “I don’t know how good I would have been. I might have had different hair. Maybe I’d have gone with a pineapple,” she joked, referring to Princess Leia’s now-famous hairstyle.
Foster did not reveal the name of the Disney movie that kept her from accepting the role. However, it may have been ‘Freaky Friday‘, which was released in 1976. Around the same time, she had an extremely busy schedule and appeared in four other films. It even included the critically acclaimed ‘Taxi Driver‘, which became one of the defining performances of her early career.
Missing out on ‘Star Wars‘ did not stop Foster from becoming one of Hollywood’s most respected actresses. Over the years, she built an award-winning career and earned two Academy Awards while starring in several acclaimed films.
