I found this video of Kurt Russell auditioning for the role of Han Solo on Youtube today while researching a post about another movie. Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised.

Notice all the plot differences between the audition script and the movie. Apparently princess Leia’s home planet was originally named Organa Major (Organa being Leia’s last name that was never mentioned in the original trilogy). Also notice the dialogue difference. A few of the lines sound familiar but most of them seem to have been lost in editing (thank the the maker).

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I have to say, I am definitely a Kurt Russell fan. He was great in Overboard (personal bias), Star Gate, Tango and Cash, and Backdraft. His role as the sarcastic loudmouth Jack Burton in Big Trouble in Little China actually wasn’t all that different from Han Solo’s character.

I even think he did a great job in the audition. Russell definitely pulled off the greedy simplicity and arrogance of solo. I’ll admit something along the lines of “Give my regards to King Tut, Asshole!” would have been great somewhere in the Tatooine scenes of Episodes IV and VI.

That said, Han Solo is and always will be Harrison Ford’s best work. The lob sided grin and one liners delivered by Ford were one of my favorite parts of the original trilogy and were sorely missed in the prequels.

~Man Overboard