Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

‘I was with Chewie. I was in the full costume’: Taron Egerton reveals he turned down young Han Solo role

‘I just didn’t feel it’

Louis Chilton
Sunday 31 July 2022 11:54 BST
Comments
Solo - A Star Wars Story - trailer

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Kingsman star Taron Egerton has claimed that he turned down the role of a young Han Solo in the Star Wars prequel Solo: A Star Wars Story.

The actor revealed that he got as far as donning the character’s famous costume and meeting the character of Chewbacca but ultimately turned it down.

Alden Ehrenreich (Hail, Ceasar!) was eventually cast as the younger version of Harrison Ford’s buccanneering space smuggler, though the film – and Ehrenreich’s performance – was met with mixed reviews.

Egerton discussed the role during an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. “I’ll be honest, I got on the Falcon,” he said, referring to Han Solo’s spacecraft, the Millenium Falcon.

“I was with Chewie. I was in the full costume,” he continued. “I felt like I got there, I did it, I lived it.”

He ultimately felt that he would not have suited the role of a younger Ford, and stepped away during the following round of auditions.

“It just felt to me like I didn’t feel... like you know when we mentioned earlier, that thing when I read the Kingsman script and I was like, ‘This is… I’ve gotta do this. This is my part,’” he said. “I just didn’t feel it.”

Harrison Ford and Taron Egerton
Harrison Ford and Taron Egerton (LucasFilm/Getty)

While he had previously spoken about wanting to be considered for the role, the podcast appearance marks the first time Egerton has confirmed he auditioned for Solo.

“It’s far enough in the past now that I feel I can say that,” he added. “I hope no one feels annoyed that I have said it.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in