Why Alden Ehrenreich Was Cast As Han Solo

The Solo: A Star Wars Story article in Empire Magazine sheds some light on the casting process of the movie and what the producers wanted from any prospective Han Solo actor. Click through for more details.

In the Empire Magazine print article Ron Howard is asked about the casting of Han Solo. And he had this to say:

“It was always clear from the beginning, before I was involved, that it was not going to be an impression of Harrison. No one wanted that. Part of Han Solo’s character is sort of a vibe and a feel and a body language. I think from the minute Alden knew he was doing it, he began thinking about that and working with it.”

This may explain a few things. Clearly, Lucasfilm were not looking for a Harrison Ford impersonator, but rather someone who can encapsulate the spirit and essence of Han Solo. That ruled out Anthony Ingruber who was thought to be a better fit for the role by some. But this is not what the creative people behind the movie were going for, so they chose Alden Ehrenreich instead.

And despite early misgivings he seems to be doing an ok job in the few snippets we have of him in the trailers. He’s not Harrison Ford, but he was never meant to be.

What do you think? Do you agree that it makes sense not to hire a Harrison Ford impersonator and to focus instead on capturing the spirit of Han Solo, detached from Harrison Ford as an actor? Or would you have rather seen someone who looks and sounds like Harrison Ford? I feel this could have veered off into parody territory and it’s better to have someone play the role who makes it his own, but still giving the audience that Han Solo vibe, as Howard says.

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