Oscar-winner Emma Thompson reveals that she once tried to join the Star Wars universe but was stunningly told no. The Star Wars franchise may be seen as rollicking lightweight popcorn entertainment by many people, but the series has nevertheless attracted its fair share of serious acting talent over the years, even snagging a handful of Oscar nominees and winners for roles big and small.
The original Star Wars of course boasted a major cast member with world-class credentials in Alec Guinness, an Oscar-winner for 1957’s The Bridge on The River Kwai. Later when George Lucas went to work on his prequels, he was able to bring aboard Liam Neeson, an Oscar nominee in 1994 for Schindler’s List. J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens reeled in 12 Years a Slave Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong'o, who performed her Maz Kanata role behind a CGI disguise, as well as a two-time nominee in Max Von Sydow. Star Wars: The Last Jedi also boasted a two-time Oscar nominee in Laura Dern, who took on the pivotal role of Admiral Holdo.
If five-time Oscar nominee and two-time winner Thompson had her way, she would also be on that impressive list of award-winning Star Wars actors, but unfortunately the star was denied the opportunity. As Thompson revealed in a recent Wired auto-complete interview promoting her new movie Late Night, she indeed sent out feelers to Lucasfilm and Disney about joining the Star Wars universe but was told no. Thompson said:
My agent actually said to the last people who were making the last Star Wars…She’d be really interested in being in the next Star Wars. I actually really like Star Wars. And they said ‘no.’ I’m not in Star Wars because they don’t want me to be in Star Wars.
Mindy Kaling, seated beside Thompson for the Wired interview, expressed dismay at her Late Night co-star being denied her chance to appear in Star Wars and imagined a role Thompson would be able to nail: a sort of Yoda figure. “You know the young Jedi that has lost their will to live and ends up in the forest somewhere and someone appears to them to teach them?” Kaling said. “You would be great at that.” Thompson herself had a different idea however, saying, “Or I could be Jabba the Hutt’s handmaiden. I could squeeze those frogs for him.”
Thompson’s reference to Jabba the Hutt’s frogs shows that she indeed possesses deep knowledge of Star Wars and is a genuine fan, which makes it all the sadder that she was rejected by Lucasfilm and Disney. Given that everyone from Daniel Craig to Princes William and Harry to Tom Hardy have received small cameos, it’s fair to wonder why Thompson wasn’t at least offered a chance to live out her Star Wars dream via a walk-on as a Stormtrooper. Lucasfilm and Disney certainly owe the world an explanation as to why they turned down the chance to have the award-winning Thompson grace their franchise with her talent.
Source: Wired
