Leonardo DiCaprio is a big name in the Hollywood industry who gained global prominence with his charismatic and impactful role as Jack Dawson in James Cameron’s hit movie, Titanic. Not only did he gain a devoted fandom but he also started getting lots of offers for many popular projects.
While many might be aware of the fact that he has quite a good list of passing-down projects, one must be surprised to know that the Star Wars franchise is one of them.
Leonardo DiCaprio Turned Down to Play Darth Vader in Star Wars Franchise
In a 2015 interview with ShortList Magazine, Hollywood heartthrob, Leonardo DiCaprio unraveled the whole story behind his association with the Star Wars franchise. He revealed that the franchise creator, George Lucas approached him for Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader’s role in the final two movies of the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
“I did have a meeting with George Lucas about that as well, yes.”
While this opportunity would have skyrocketed his career to the next level, he felt that he was not ready to get involved with it.
“Again, just didn’t feel ready to take that dive. At that point.”
Turning down such a golden opportunity also came with huge responsibilities since Skywalker went through a drastic transformation into Darth Vader. With DiCaprio passing down the role, Hayden Christensen eventually landed the role. Unlike the Inception star who turned down the offer, the Star Wars franchise actor felt that getting involved would be unattainable.
Hayden Christensen Recalled His Audition for Star Wars Franchise
In an interview with Variety, the Awake actor recalled his audition for the Darth Vader role stating,
“I loved Star Wars, and when the audition came around, it was exciting, but it felt just unattainable.”
He enjoyed the whole audition process, asserting that he never thought that the opportunity would go to him.
“I remember meeting George Lucas for the first time, and that was thrilling. And then auditioning with Natalie Portman. It was a very long process, but the entire time, I never really thought that it would ever go my way, so I was just enjoying it. Then when I got the phone call to play the part, it was a life-changing thing.”
He further commented on how the popular franchise holds “a very special place” in his heart. It was because he was also a die-hard fan before starring in the lightsaber franchise. In the same interview, he shared,
“Star Wars holds a very special place in my heart. I enjoyed getting to go back to being a fan again and just watching these stories like everyone else.”
He was excited to explore his character further when he was asked to reprise the role for the popular series, Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was recently seen reprising his role in Ahsoka which is now streaming on Disney+.
Source: ShortList Magazine, Variety
