Ron Howard on George Lucas: No Star Wars audition?!?
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- Опубликовано: 15 сен 2024
- Award-winning director and producer Ron Howard remembers an extended audition for George Lucas and a role in the 1973 film “American Graffiti,” which endured for six months before he was finally offered a role. Howard remembers Lucas’ surprising, uncensored film school advice and later, his inability to even get an audition as Lucas was casting for “Star Wars.”
#RonHoward #GeorgeLucas #Acting
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I worked in the film industry in Hollywood for three decades...and I never get tired of hearing the 'behind the scenes' stories.
I worked for HBO for one day back in 2007. On the pilot episode of the show Hung. I got paid $80 to stand around, free lunch and as luck would have it, a few seconds of actual screen time in the scene. I have four copies of the first season just so I can pass it along to my grandchildren. 😁
@@monty4336 One of my best friends is an Extra and has been in a bunch of shows over the years. It's always a kick to see him walking around in the background.
I could talk to Ron Howard all day...he seems like such an affable guy, and he has such a wealth of stories from his acting and directing projects plus memories of so many great screen legends...
Ron Howard should have been Luke Skywalker
He reminds me of Richie Cunningham.
4/29/23
This guy is like Jodi Foster in my life: Ever present. I hope I never know a time without them.
cindy williams got an audition for leia
george didnt want any known actors for the main roles in star wars....which gave more of an impact to the roles of tarkin and obi wan
lucas lucked out with american graffitti....he got actors who didnt need much direction and got a very natrualistic feel to the movie
i was lucky that the drive in scenes were filmed right around the corner from where my dad worked
i got to see how lucas worked.....he did a ton of takes
it was so cool seeing opie as a teen
The story also goes that for Star Wars, they wanted a 'young Cindy Williams'
@@bbb462cid , they also told Carrie she was fat and made her lose weight. Notice how the comments were always directed at the women who were being cast or looked at for casting. Sexist by today's standards.
@@matthewgaudet4064 Notice how stupid your generalization is? Cindy Williams was 28 when she auditioned for Star Wars she was too old for the part.
It's no coincidence that the characters were so much like the actors who portrayed them.
Thank you for sharing your experience
He may not have got Star Wars, but he did get Happy Days which was inspired by Graffiti.
Lots of Watchmen logos in these comments, LOL.
Actually the LOVE AMERICAN STYLE episode came out first
@@mem1701movies aired Feb 1972, Lucas was already working on AG before that episode ever aired.
Yeah, Lucas wanted people he hadn’t worked with before to be in Star Wars, but it’s interesting how Wendy Williams auditioned to be Princess Leia while Ron Howard didn’t get to audition to be Luke Skywalker. Harrison Ford was only allowed to read with other actors and actresses because Lucas didn’t have another person to read for Han Solo, but made it clear that he wasn’t auditioning for the part. In the end, Lucas liked how he interacted with Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher and that’s how Ford got to be in the film.
Cindy Williams 😇
One of his auditions was Perry King, (known for _Riptide_ in the 1980s) who would go on to play Han Solo in _Star Wars: The Original Radio Drama,_ very well in my opinion. Whether Harrison Ford would have gotten Indiana Jones and the rest of his career without Star Wars is debatable.
AG is such a gem
This guy is amazing. I love his films more than a lot of other people's. Up there with Spielberg if you ask me.
R.I.P. Cindy Williams
Where can we watch this interview in it's entirety all at once instead of multiple edited youtube clips?
Star Wars rarely gets the credit it deserves for having absolutely perfect casting.
Can you imagine Ron Howard as Luke Skywalker? 😄
Hamill was okay. Lots of other people could have played that part. Everyone else was spot on.
@@monty4336 When he was young for sure.
@@monty4336 Yes I can, and Cindy Williams as Princess Leia. 👍 I don't think they would have been typecast the way Hamill and Eddie Fisher's daughter were.
And Ricardo Montalban as Lando Calrissian, so there might never have been _The Wrath of Khan_ movie.
Original poster was wrong.
Funny, Harrison Ford was also told by George that he did'tt want to audition anyone for Star Wars that had been in American Graffiti, which Harrison said he understood and was fine with. I wonder what, in his specific case, changed.
If I remember, I think Harrison was just around and got roped in to read with the various actors auditioning. Once he was reading for Mark and Carrie, I guess they realized the chemistry between them and George tossed his audition "rule book."
Yep, just like C-3PO. Lucas wanted Mel Blanc and had him read over and over until Blanc said “Why don’t you just use Tony’s voice, it sounds fine.” If your curious about Blanc voicing 3PO just watch Buck Rogers as he voiced Twiky.
Harrison was also a carpenter, and was doing work in George’s office at the time. George got Harrison to read lines for potential candidates, and eventually before finding an actor for Han Solo, Ford went to George and simply said, “why don’t you just be me the part?” He must have been really convincing (or nagging, who knows?)
Well in theory George didn't want any actor from American Graffiti to appear in Star Wars....we're all glad he made that one exception though :p.
Shows how much loyalty he had to people who helped make his first successful movie. I like to imagine the opposite, that he picked Harrison, Howard and Williams for Han, Luke and Leia, respectively.
At least he wasn't Cindy Williams they told her they were looking for a younger Cindy Williams. That person was Carrie Fisher.
Great movie..gave us soo many greats 👍
Opie/Richie/Graffiti Steve would have been a tough sell as an action hero...IMO.
American Graffiti was Lucas' purest film.
I had a huge crush on Cindy Williams because of that film. Rest In Peace.
Harrison Ford was in American Graffiti, few people realize that, and he later played Hope Solo in Return for the Jedi
@@JoyofBooking And fact, Harrison Ford played Bob Alfalfa in American Graffiti.
@@JoyofBooking He played a female soccer goalie?
@@kamuelalee Bob Falfa....
After all this talk about the multiverse, I like to imagine if Lucas cast Ron Howard, Cindy Williams and Harrison Ford in _Star Wars._
Ron's concepts of outer space movies has evolved. It's funny to see how rudimentary and ridiculous his views once were. Like if you explained ' dirty harry ' to him he might have thought why was the lead character called ' dirty harry ' was some kind of ' sex pervert with a STD?'😂❤
At least you can emoji laugh at your own lame jokes. A lot of mental patients do that.
The guy wasn't even twenty at the time...
I don't think Lucas wanted to use any actors from Graffiti in Star Wars. Harrison ended up being cast because he was hanging around and did all the audition reads.
I’m a total Fanboy(Star Wars fan) and gotta say IMO Ron Howard wouldn’t have been a bad Luke. Hameln still the best,
It is kind of weird considering how many actors from American Graffiti were auditioned for Star Wars. On the other hand Star Wars wouldn't have worked with Ron Howard as Luke.
Wrong. He wouldn't have been typecast like Hamil, and would have gone on to his great directing career too. Who knows what Cindy Williams would have done after being Leia?
George Lucas is an indie filmmaker who’s ceiling was quiet literally a galaxy far, far away.
Was he an amazing director? No.
He did something most people will NEVER achieve. He captured the hearts and minds of men.
In 1000 years, his wisdom and work will transcend our era. He will be looked back in History as Plato, Aristotle, Homer, & the Hero Storytellers of the ancient world.
If Disney doesn't manage to sully the reputation of his movies completely, that is.
@@jedijones the fanbase already disowned the majority of the Disney-produced SW.
Episodes 1-6 are the Gospel according to George.
@@markgarcia8253 screw the fanbase. The militant part of it disowned 1-3. the problem with the fanbase is, they think its their baby.
George has his *shortcomings* as a director, just like every director does, but don't be fooled into thinking that George is a bad director. He's gotten multiple Oscar nominations for directing.
And yet I see Luke as a young Ron Howard.
George Lucas
Ron Howard
Two gods
I think he should direct more Star Wars
Like the one that bombed?
Hastag #Release the Lord and Miller Solo cut. This needs to be a thing!😮😮😮
Imagine if Ron had been cast in Star Wars...
"Opie Skywalker?" 🧑🏻🦰
"Han Cunningham?"🔫👨🏼🦰
"Opie-Wan Kenobi?"🧙🏼♂️
"C-OPIE-O?"🤖
"Darth Richie?"🌚
Dont forget about "Obie Wan Aunt-Bee" and that treacherous bounty hunter- "Barnbo Fife".
@@PhilMoskowitz that's bobba fife. 😆
🤣🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
Han the Fonz
Jesus he still sounds like Richie.🤣
And Harrison Ford and Cindy Williams did get an audition lol
The choppiness of the dialogue in the prequels is a complete indication of George’s inability to communicate with & understand actors.
Not really a fair statement to make. Lucas' best film by far is American Graffiti. Better to judge him on his best films, not his mediocre films
@Mark Johnson Interesting and superficial take, when you consider that you're boiling down the film's merits based on what seems to be your personal taste. In addition to being imaginative, fresh, and a cultural phenomenon, the art of the films behind the three prequels seems to escape your attention. The universe you saw was true to itself; it worked instinctively without having to hit you over the head with space-geek crap. Yes they used weird terms but even a kid could figure it out. Sets, physical locales, the use of and construction of matte painting, props, costume, all combine to make physical storytelling that is believable and in some cases effortless.
Kennedy wasn't apart of the prequels; so the dialogue in general & the female characters specifically suffered. Glad she's apart of The Mandalorian.
Films 4-6 with Portman, Christensen, etc. the dialogue and acting were horrific. Completely wooden. The franchise was better off standing pat on the first three films - but, alas - money $$$$$
what are you 12?
Opie-Wan canobie😂
What part could Ron have played in STar Wars without ruining it?
It might have been good with Howard as Luke Skywalker.
@@kylegreen3247 But I was going to Tashi Station for some Power Converters, Bucko.
Jar Jar Binks? :D
A part that got cut out.
@@CogensFamilyTV Clint Howard IS jar jar. Opie Cunningham will have to be Tarpels.
Opie in space... nah.
Lets face it, Howdy Doody is not a STAR WARS character. Dont blame Lucas.
Didn't his brother audition for Star Wars?
But Ron got to direct and so his daughter.
Loved American Graffiti...Star Wars not so much.
yeah right
@@empireblack2351😂😂
Sounds like a Queen song: "And I don't like _Star Wars_ ooh."
You were right, it was terrible. So the dumbing down of society continues.
He would have been a good Luke Skywalker.
Ron Howard would have made a good Luke Skywalker ! He and mark Hamil are both very below average actors.
Well I know Lucas invited David Lynch out for lunch and asked him to direct Return of the Jedi and Lynch wasn't really interested either he declined made Dune instead. Star Wars is very popular but I always thought of it as a children's thing and more geared toward boys too I did like the Ewoks they had a spin off cartoon when I was a child also. When I was about 18 they rereleased it in theatres and my boyfriend at the time said he had never seen it so we went to watch it on the big screen I expected he would love it but he said he thought it was just okay. I'm not a fanatic about the franchise at all I actually like 50s nostalgia like American Graffiti or Happy Days much more as a genre and it's much more realistic and stylish imo.
ruclips.net/video/EJQ4vCu-S0U/видео.html