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One of the coolest things about Star Wars Universe is diversity. We have seen all kinds of characters, landscapes and costumes. George Lucas's legacy is not just a great set of stories, a profitable franchise or a launching platform for young actors; it is also a huge source of inspiration for creators, special effects artists, writers, make up and wardrobe professionals and, of course, fans. Star Wars films inspire us with stories about family, love, bravery, fighting evil and redemption.
In Solo: A Star Wars Story, a young Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) finds adventure when he joins a gang of galactic smugglers, including a 196-year-old Wookie named Chewbacca. Indebted to the gangster Dryden Vos, the crew devises a daring plan to travel to the mining planet Kessel to steal a batch of valuable coaxium. In need of a fast ship, Solo meets Lando Calrissian, the suave owner of the perfect vessel for this dangerous mission: the Millennium Falcon.
With this new film in theatres, we started thinking about how being cast in one of these movies may be a very smart career move for most actors. It also made us think how artists, from different countries, race, gender, age and experience are sought out for the many roles available in the franchise. And they do their roles justice. But there some actors who, despite being professional and talented, do terrible jobs in portraying their characters.
Harrison Ford as Han Solo (Good Choice)
To put it simply, it is almost impossible to imagine anyone else other than Harrison Ford as Han Solo. Ford is one of those actors whose name makes everyone go and watch a film and, on top of that, he is solid and skilled at his work. He does not seem to fall in the stereotypical Hollywood star definition. That is, he does not seek out big headlines, he just wants to do his work and go home. His passion drives him but it does not define him because he did not allow fame to get to his head. Not only is Ford responsible for delivering amazing performances in more than one movie franchise (remember Indiana Jones?), his work made Solo: A Star Wars Story possible. People's love for the character has a lot to do with that.
His character is likeable, charming but also kind of skeptical. In the words of Chris Ryan, one of the editorial director's of the films, "Solo invites the audience to question what is happening in the story, something that does not happen in movies such as Lord of The Rings or Stark Trek". We might say he is the most successful casting choice from Star Wars because he was born to play the role.
Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker (Good Choice)
Returning to a character is not always easy, right? Remember when we celebrated Hugh Jackman for being Wolverine for more than 15 years? His hard-physical training and interpretation of the grumpy mutant made the X-Men movies likeable. If Hugh Jackman deserves recognition, then Mark Hamill deserves all the praise he has been receiving for his work on Star Wars. According to ScreenRant, it takes a considerable amount of talent to turn a character from a whiny farm boy, to an intergalactic hero, all the way to a jaded and paranoid old man. Mark is awesome and he's 'the last man standing' from the original films (Harrison Ford's Han Solo character was murdered by his son, Kylo, and Carrie Fisher passed away in 2016). If a studio pays you thousands of dollars for a few seconds on screen (Mark Hamill in The Force Awakens) then you are a very big deal! We love Mark’s role as Luke as much as we love his cameos as himself in TV shows like The Big Bang Theory. Mark’s charm is that he seems to be cool with hist past, happy about the present and open to what the future might bring.
Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker (Bad Choice)
Hayden Christensen became more famous after playing Anakin Skywalker in two Star Wars films, but did he do a good job? No. Christensen lacked emotion and depth, and his performance was forgettable. It is a shame because the influence of his character on the Star Wars universe is huge and several years in the future, after Darth Vader's death, he still holds a lot of influence.
Soon after reaching fame with his widely questioned Star Wars performance, Christensen retired from acting and went to live on a farm, far from the spotlight. The reason, in his own words, is because he felt like fame was something given to him, but not particularly earned. In a declaration to the Independent he said: “I felt like I had this great thing in Star Wars that provided all these opportunities and gave me a career, but it all kind of felt a little too handed to me.” He told the LA Times: “I didn’t want to go through life feeling like I was just riding a wave.”
No intent to harm, but we haven’t seen something great or decent from him after Star Wars. He may have a great talent, but it seems like we will never know.
Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia (Good Choice)
There are a few prominent female characters on the Star Wars saga (Leia, Rey, Padme, Captain Phasma, Maz Kanata, Rose Tico and Jyn Erso, among others), but contrary to Padmé Amidala, Princess Leia is a strong, smart, brave leader.
Carrie Fisher successfully portrayed Leia as she is talented, but it is not right to say that Fisher played Leia, because it almost feels like Leia played Fisher. Leia's character became almost bigger than life and Carrie Fisher has been synonymous with this character ever since her portrayal in Star Wars.
After Fisher passed away a lot of cool stories about her resurfaced. When Colbert asked her why Leia never got her own lightsaber, her response was strangely sobering: "Even in space, there is a double standard." Or when she openly talked about her struggles with mental health and suffering from bipolar disorder. And very few people remember that she was an accomplished writer.
If this does not prove our point about how great she was, we are just going to say that Fisher was so awesome that Meryl Streep kind of played her in a semi-autobiographical movie! Just check Postcards from The Edge if you do not believe us!
Ewan McGregor as Obin Wan Kenobi (Good Choice)
It must have been stressful for McGregor to follow Sir Alec Guinness's steps, but he did it well. When he began playing Obi Wan, Ewan was already a familiar name to movie producers and fans. Trainspotting by Danny Boyle was a success and gave the actor a great launching platform for his career. Do we not all love McGregor? Do we not all love Big Fish and Moulin Rouge?
It was a privilege to see McGregor grow into his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi. He spent time as Obi-Wan in different stages of the Jedi’s life. First, Kenobi was a learner of Qui-Gon Jinn, then he was Anakin’s mentor, and then he was the confident and wise Jedi who had to stop Anakin (remember what happened with Skywalker's legs?)
As much as McGregor's participation in the Star Wars films was not as extensive as Ford's, Hamill's or Ficher's, he is still a really beloved character. For example, when Rey's parents destiny was unknown in the seventh film, and people started sharing their crazy theories about the plot hole, many thought she could be some kind of secret descendant of his.
Ahmed Best as Jar Jar Binks (Bad Choice)
Ok, it is not that we hold something against Best, to be completely honest Jar Jar Binks makes no sense to anyone. Star Wars has lots of interesting creatures. For example, Jabba the Hutt is gross, but it served a purpose, Ewoks are involved in an important portion of the films, R2- and C-3PO are fun to keep around, but what on earth was the purpose of Jar Jar Binks?
Maybe it was created as some sort of comedic release but instead of making us laugh, he was just annoying. Maybe his existence is just the result of a series of unfortunate events that lead to an annoying character to appear not in one, but in three Star War films (The Phanton Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith). Ahmed Best is in this list because we cannot believe he agreed to perform as a bumbling, foolish Gungan from the planet Naboo. The role of Jar Jar Binks could have been the end of his career, but he's been around in a couple of TV series. Nothing as big as Star Wars, of course, but he still has work in Hollywood.
John Boyega as Finn (Good Choice)
According to ScreenRant, “Early in the development of his character, Finn was a Caucasian smuggler named Sam with a chip on his shoulder and an air of being Han Solo wannabe. Sometimes, a project really doesn't know what a character needs to be until the right actor is found”.
Casting the British John Boyega, who starred in the sci-fi film Attack the Block, gave Finn charm and purpose. That did not prevent the actor from facing criticism, in his own words, "It doesn't matter where you go --- a few ignorant individuals will come in and make comments about your race. Even though when you look behind the curtain it's a bunch of (...). A racist situation led me to see how ugly this world could be, but also led me to see that a lot of people aren't racist".
To bad for them because he really stood out in the film. Not only has Boyega gained support as a Stormtrooper runaway and traitor, he also melted hearts with his on-screen bromance with Oscar Isaac's Poe Dameron. There were even forums discussing who would be a better fit for Finn, Rey or Poe? You be the judge.
Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron (Good Choice)
Originally, Poe Dameron's character didn't have much time on screen, but due to Harrison Ford's injury, Isaac had the opportunity to appear on more scenes on Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which was directed by JJ. Abrahams.
According to Business Insider, “Often compared to 1970s movie stars like Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, Isaac has become known in the past few years for churning out dark, brilliant performances in Inside Llewyn Davis and 2014's A Most Violent Year".
The Guatemalan-American actor conquered audiences with his performance as the bold and kind pilot in Star Wars. Both the actor and the character are charming in a quirky way, and everyone seems to love him. Isaac’s performance on X-Men: Apocalypse wasn't praised, but Poe Dameron was a huge success. This is when loving your character and having a great director makes a difference. Isaac is perfect as Poe because he has this raw appeal and those hard to read eyes. It makes the audiences feel like they are watching a fun guy, who is kind of serious, kind of warm and kind of mysterious at the same time. We all want to know more about him so badly, right?
Adam Driver as Kylo Ren (Bad Choice)
It is always hard to choose a list of actors who were not right for the part they played as there's always a variety of perceptions about it: some love their work, some despise it. Adam Driver is one of those stars constantly generating arguments around their look, acting skills and charm.
In Girls, he was the on and off boyfriend of Hannah, Lena Dunham's character, and he was the guy we loved to hate. As the series continued we began to embrace his character's quirkiness. We think Adam Driver is a good actor, and his acting is always evolving.
But as Kylo Ren, we were not fond of Adam's portrayal. Ren is a deeply complex character, as his emotions, thoughts and actions are always changing and he tries to project himself as a cold, distant and strong leader. Adam as Kylo does not do a good job portraying such a rich character. He looks like a shallow 15-year old teenager that reacts to everything by crying, screaming or breaking what is around him. The question is, once again, is his performance the result of bad acting or bad directing? We still have at least one more movie to review Adam's performance, so he might just get out of this list in the future.
Daisy Ridley as Rey (Good Choice)
We all love underdogs in films (Forrest Gump, Harry Potter, Billy Elliot, Bridget Jones, Vivian Ward and so on), and we want them to be recognized and succeed. Daisy Ridley as Rey is the ultimate underdog: she has no family, nobody knows her, she's by herself, she's weird and doesn't really know her capabilities, but she is a survivor. What is there not to like?
Alongside John Boyega, Ridley is also a newcomer to the film industry. With the fame that comes with starring in a Star Wars film, we were able to see Ridley interacting with her newly acquired and massive fame. She looks like a sweet person who is trying to figure out how to deal with this new visibility and how to use it, much like realizing you can be one with the force. Ridley also trains hard to get the body and the strength she needs to portray Rey. Have you seen her lifting weights? She is perfect for the role.
When asked about Rey’s lack of weaknesses Ridley answered in an interview with Forbes: "I don't really believe in weaknesses in people," and then she added, "I for sure think people can work on themselves, with things like anger and jealousy, maybe things like that, but that's workable, that's not something that's fixed that can't be changed. You can work on that. And I don't think she's those things". Perfect right?
Ian McDiarmid as The Emperor (Good Choice)
In the never ending debate on which Star Wars trilogy is better, there are some things we can't deny about each of them. The first trilogy was awesome as it set the path for the entire franchise, the special effects were groundbreaking at the time, but now they look funny. The second trilogy was largely criticized by a mediocre casting job with Anakyn Skywalker but McGregor (as Obi Wan) and McDiarmid (as Palpatine) saved the trilogy. The current trilogy is still waiting for the third instalment, so we can't say much yet.
For all the many flaws of the prequel series, one thing that cannot be faulted is the development of Palpatine into The Emperor. McDiarmid's character was the one we love to hate, he was evil, and scary.
When the Star Wars turned a little boring by being full of political drama, The Emperor brought emotion and reaction from the other characters and the audience. Even McDiarmid's small gestures (smile, eyes and others) was an exhibit of true talent. It was not a problem to have a mediocre Anakin on the screen, because we had a great Emperor.
Natalie Portman as Padmé Amidala (Bad Choice)
Natalie Portman is one of Hollywood's biggest names. She was awesome in Jackie, Black Swan, V of Vendetta, Léon: The Professional, among others. She has been nominated for an Oscar three times and won once. She's smart, as she has psychology degree from Harvard. She has made good choices in her career.
However, her Pádme Amidala lacked emotion and strength. Padmé Amidala started as a mysterious, clever and strong character in the Star Wars saga, but quickly declined into a weak, powerless woman. It is a shame to see someone like Natalie Portman, an awarded actress, portray a character who is basically there to serve a male character. For those who wonder why Portman's role was nothing close to perfect, we are just going to say that she had to compete with the likes of Carrie Fisher. Maybe Portman didn't participate in the creation of her character, but she definitely wasn't as integral as Fisher. It is largely known that Fisher wrote and crossed several lines out on the script. Some may argue that Portman was young, but c'mon! She was even younger when she did The Professional and she excelled at it. What happened then? No idea.
James Earl Jones as Darth Vader (Good Choice)
Voice actors are not acknowledged enough! There must be nothing quite as challenging and portraying someone by using just your voice. That's why James Earl Jones is another beloved actor from Star Wars. He made Darth Vader a believable villain.
According to Screen Rant, "Utterly commanding and filled with raw emotional power, Jones's voice work transforms the narrative potential of Vader as a cartoonish dictator into something far more Shakespearean and nuanced, creating the legend he is today".
We have no doubt Jones was perfect as Darth Vader, he not only has a prolific career as a voice actor (he's going to voice Mufasa in the upcoming live-action version of Lion King), he is also amazing on screen. If you are a fan of the show House, you might remember him as ruthless African dictator Dibala.
James Earl Jones was perfect as Vader because he successfully managed to imprint power, knowledge, fear and depth into his character. If you are not on the screen, you need to use a whole different set of skills and resources to make your role stand out.
Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca (Good Choice)
Who does not love Chewbacca? We have never heard someone say, "I do not like Chewbacca, he's so boring, lame, or dumb". In fact, everyone seems to love the fluffy, tall and friendly Wookie. Chewie is also brave; he fought in the Clone Wars, the Galactic Civil War, and the conflict between the First Order and the Resistance.
In Star Wars: The Force Awakens Chewbacca broke our hearts when grieving his friend Han Solo. Do you want to know why Peter Mayhew on this list? He made us fall in love with just his voice and his moves: if you think about it, it is quite impressive. We all have tried to make our own Chewbacca grunt. Remember that American mom that happily wore a Chewie mask and became famous?
In the The Last Jedi we had another actor as Chewbacca: the Finnish Joonas Suotamo, but he did not have as much time on screen. In the latest Star Wars movie, based on the early years of our favorite smuggler, Han Solo, we will be able to see and hear more of him. Will he be at Mayhew's level? Maybe, but until we find out, Peter will be the only Chewie in our list. We have no doubt, Mayhem performed his role perfectly.
Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu (Good Choice)
Jackson is flawless as our favorite spy, Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, and we are glad to see that soon we will watch him in Captain Marvel. He was also awesome in Pulp Fiction, the 1994 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. However, every now and then, great performers fail to make an impact on films. Sometimes this is due to their character's story in the film, the directing or just not being the right for the part. If you have seen Jackson in Kingsman: Secret Service, you know what we are talking about.
Don't get us wrong, we know, and we acknowledge that Samuel is an outstanding performer; we just do not love him in the Star Wars films because we felt like he could have done a much better job. It feels like Jackson was restraining himself: his acting, usually full of energy, charm and strength, wasn't much to look at as Mace Windu. Perhaps this can be blamed on George Lucas's directions. Good news is that Jackson feels entirely comfortable with his performance and has expressed more than once that he is willing to reprise his role. Would you like to see him again as Mace Windu?
Refences: The Ringer, ScreenRant, Nerdist, Business Insider, Forbes, Independent
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