The two-time Oscar winner told Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show” that she was already locked into a contract for a Disney movie at the time and didn't want to break it in order to join a galaxy far, far away.
"They were going for a younger Princess Leia but I had a conflict," she said. "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 so I didn't do it.”
Christopher Walken and Jodie Foster were among the hundreds of actors vying for roles in George Lucas' Star Wars. The Dune: Part Two star recounted his audition for Han Solo — a role that eventually went to Harrison Ford — and shared that he did a screen test with Foster, who was going for the part of Princess Leia.
Jodie Foster has revealed that she came perilously close to starring as one of the most iconic characters in film history. The actress, 61, has shared that she was cast in the original Star Wars series as Princess Leia, but had to turn it down because she was already playing a role in a Disney movie.
In the fourth draft it was established that "Leia Organa" came instead from Alderaan. Fisher was 19 when she was cast as Princess Leia, with actresses including Amy Irving, Cindy Williams and Jodie Foster also up for the role.
Jodie Foster Reveals She Was Offered the Role of Princess Leia in Star Wars (Extended)
What actress turned down Princess Leia?
Jodie Foster Turned Down Playing a 14-Year-Old Princess Leia in 'Star Wars' The Oscar winner was offered the iconic Star Wars role that eventually went to Carrie Fisher.
The 10 Best Jodie Foster Performances, Ranked: 'The Silence of the Lambs,' 'Taxi Driver,' 'True Detective: Night Country,' and More. "The Accused," "Panic Room," and more films that track Foster's trajectory from talented child star to seasoned veteran.
At her graduation in 1980, she delivered the valedictorian address for the school's French division. She then attended Yale University, where she majored in African-American literature, wrote her thesis on Toni Morrison under the guidance of Henry Louis Gates Jr., and graduated magna cum laude in 1985.
George Lucas sought new talent for Star Wars, ultimately choosing Harrison Ford for Han Solo. Actors like Al Pacino and Christopher Walken auditioned but Ford's wit and charm were unbeatable. The fate of Ford's success was a stroke of luck as he transitioned from being a carpenter to a galactic icon.
Neeson first appeared as Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn in the 1999 movie, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, serving as a mentor to Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Darth Vader didn't learn he had a daughter until Return of the Jedi, when he stood before Emperor Palpatine. The Emperor's power probed Luke's mind, attempting to goad him to fall to the dark side, and he discovered Leia's existence. "Sister," the Emperor taunted.
Known for her role as Shirley Feeney on Happy Days, Cindy Williams auditioned for Leia after having worked with Lucas on American Graffiti. However, this also resulted in her not getting the part, as Lucas didn't want to cast actors who had already appeared in his movie (Harrison Ford ended up being the exception).
Leia's Force abilities and her lack of awareness of her true identity also contributed to Vader's inability to sense their familial connection. Vader's denial of Anakin Skywalker's legacy and his fear of getting hurt again prevented him from realizing the truth about his children until later in the original trilogy.
Anthony Hopkins has fond memories of working with Jodie Foster on The Silence of the Lambs more than three decades ago. “She's lovely,” the two-time Oscar winner, 86, who's now starring in the movie Freud's Last Session, tells PEOPLE.
From her late 40s through her 50s, Foster barely did any acting. Partly, she said, this was because she felt she was in an awkward stretch of middle age where she was competing with the audience's memories of a younger, smoother-skinned version of herself.
She was also a gifted student whom her mother enrolled in a special program at the acclaimed Lycee Francais in Los Angeles, partly because of its reputation and partly because “my mom was obsessed with France,” says Foster.
Like her “Nyad” co-star Annette Bening, she got her fifth Oscar nomination for the based-on-a-true-story swimming drama from Netflix, and it's Foster's first in 29 years. Her last nod was for “Nell” in 1995. She has won twice, for “The Accused” in 1989 and for “The Silence of the Lambs" in 1992.
In fact, as of 2024, Jodie's net worth has been reported to be as high as a jaw-dropping $100 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. While you try to stop screaming like a lamb over the insane bank account of one of our most celebrated actors, here's more about Jodie's life and career.
' Here's why she turned it down. Ultimately, the role went to Carrie Fisher who portrayed the galactic princess in the 1977 movie “Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope.” Jodie Foster could have been Princess Leia in the "Star Wars" franchise.
During the Battle of Yavin, however, when Vader almost succeeds in killing Luke - Han saved him - after this Leia's opinion of Han changed - and they slowly fell in love with each other. Leia and Han developed a relationship that would last throughout the war.
