# Recast Luke and Leia **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 11, 2013, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-luke-and-leia/665947 "2013-08-11T17:55:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-luke-and-leia/665947/1 "2013-08-11T17:55:56Z")
For the original trilogy. Your goal is to have actors who are just as capable in 1977, but who will age more gracefully so as to have a more Hollywood-ideal appearance in the new glut of Star Wars movies. **Yeah, that’s an assholish premise** , but I phrased it as delicately as possible. Look, I’m sure they’re both great, talented people and equally irreplaceable and fan favorites and blah blah – but you KNOW some Disney exec is looking at Harrison Ford and wishing the rest of cast could have aged as [handsomely](http://www.google.com/search?gs_rn=24&gs_ri=psy-ab&gs_mss=harrsion+f&cp=15&gs_id=9r&xhr=t&q=harrison+ford+2013&safe=off&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.50500085,d.aWc&biw=1653&bih=729&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=Bs8HUoHTFOiOyAGV_IBo). So, which two working actors could you get in 1977 that struck the genetic / lifestyle lottery age-wise? If you say Donny and Marie, I will force choke you. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-luke-and-leia/665947/2 "2013-08-11T18:19:30Z")
We don’t know their names. Yet. Part of Star Wars’ charm was that it was almost entirely unknown actors, or at least little-known, Alec Guinness aside. I’d far, far, far rather see any extension or recasting or reboot done with a search for exactly the right actors, rather than which stars of the week can be shoehorned into the roles. I think BSG is a good example: a complete re-imagining rather than a Psycho-like shot for shot remake. Or even trying to get an “unused footage” feel for new material. Start from the very good scratch and move on. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-luke-and-leia/665947/3 "2013-08-11T18:31:14Z")
Excuse me? Peter Cushing? Otherwise I agree completely with your premise. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-luke-and-leia/665947/4 "2013-08-11T18:33:04Z")
I see that I misread the question. Never mind prior answer. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-luke-and-leia/665947/5 "2013-08-11T18:49:31Z")
Denzel Washington and Katey Sagal. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-luke-and-leia/665947/6 "2013-08-11T19:02:12Z")
I always _thought_ they looked alike! ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-luke-and-leia/665947/7 "2013-08-11T19:10:41Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > I see that I misread the question. Never mind prior answer. That’s a better question though. I think a threadjack is in order. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-luke-and-leia/665947/8 "2013-08-11T19:21:57Z")
Carrie Fisher’s looking pretty good. Mark Hamill has, alas, not aged so gracefully. And [David Prowse](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001190/) was very well known, at least in the U.K., as the Green Cross Code Man. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-luke-and-leia/665947/9 "2013-08-11T19:53:35Z")
Gabriel Byrne, Ed Harris, and William Hurt are around the right age. All of them were unknowns just beginning their career in 1977. Or how about Kurt Russell? He was an established teenage actor and 1977 was when he was trying to find more adult lead roles. Christopher Reeve and Patrick Swayze were the right age. And if you want to have continuity, there’s Liam Neeson. He was just starting his film career in 1977. (There’s something worth reflecting on for people my age. Luke Skywalker is nine months older than Qui-Gon Jinn.) ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-luke-and-leia/665947/10 "2013-08-11T19:57:40Z")
William Katt (from the Greatest American Hero) auditioned for the role of Luke. Christopher Walken reportedly turned down the chance to play Han Solo. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-luke-and-leia/665947/11 "2013-08-11T20:03:13Z")
My phone ate my logic, but I’ll post it again later at home. My picks are Bruce Greenwood and Linda Hamilton. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-luke-and-leia/665947/12 "2013-08-11T20:03:39Z")
John Travolta and Jacqueline Bisset. Or maybe Teri Garr. ---
**Author:** ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-luke-and-leia/665947/13 "2013-08-11T20:05:33Z")
Jane Fonda as Leia Al Pacino as Luke You wanted longevity, there ya go. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-luke-and-leia/665947/14 "2013-08-11T20:11:02Z")
At first I thought the title was “Recast Luke and Laura”, and that just _ain’t_ gonna happen. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-luke-and-leia/665947/15 "2013-08-11T20:25:44Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Gabriel Byrne, Ed Harris, and William Hurt are around the right age. All of them were unknowns just beginning their career in 1977. > > Or how about Kurt Russell? He was an established teenage actor and 1977 was when he was trying to find more adult lead roles. > > Christopher Reeve and Patrick Swayze were the right age. > > And if you want to have continuity, there’s Liam Neeson. He was just starting his film career in 1977. (There’s something worth reflecting on for people my age. Luke Skywalker is nine months older than Qui-Gon Jinn.) Nice. Lot’s of good options here. Ed Harris. That’d be something. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-luke-and-leia/665947/16 "2013-08-11T20:29:12Z")
What about C. Thomas Howell? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-luke-and-leia/665947/17 "2013-08-11T21:08:47Z")
Michael Keaton and Debra Winger. Or if you want to go in a different direction, Robin Williams and Cassandra Peterson (Elvira, Mistress of the Dark) ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-luke-and-leia/665947/18 "2013-08-11T21:22:44Z")
> [@](#): > > Recast Luke and Leia Recast Luke and Leia? I will **cut** you!!!:mad::mad: ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-luke-and-leia/665947/19 "2013-08-11T21:25:42Z")
Bill Pullman would be wonderfully ironic. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2013, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-luke-and-leia/665947/20 "2013-08-11T21:28:20Z")
I was thinking, use Harrison Ford as Luke, but then you have to re-cast Han Solo… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-luke-and-leia/665947.md?page=2)