The Fraser star who auditioned for Han Solo in Star Wars

Have you ever looked at that vest-wearing, gun-slinging rebel Han Solo and wondered if he liked salad and scrambled eggs with his blue milk? Well, there was a time when he might have, since before Harrison Ford became captain of the Millennium Falcon, Frasier Crane himself, aka Kelsey Grammer, had a crack at the role.

talking to Conan O’Brien About his clash with the galaxy far, far away in 2018, Grammer recalls how he almost ended up starring in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. After being fired from Juilliard in the mid-1970s, he was approached by an agent who told him, “There’s a guy two blocks down the street but he’s looking for guys for this outer space movie. His name is Lucas.” Go see him.”

Grammer recalls that upon meeting George Lucas, “He explained to me that they’re making this movie about a fairy tale in space. There’s two guys who go and rescue a princess. That’s pretty much it.” After they talked about the likes of John Wayne reprising the “older” of the two men, Han Solo, Grammer auditioned for the role but unfortunately never received a call back.

Two years later, the future “Frasier” star was sitting in a theater watching a space movie. “It’s ‘Star Wars,’ and I suddenly realized, ‘Oh my God. This is that movie. This is that weird guy.’ So I really missed one there.” Plenty of other names in the making tried out for the role of Han before Harrison Ford got the gig, and while he may have missed it, Grammer eventually found his way to another beloved sci-fi property years later.

Besides the famous future sponsor of “Cheers” and Seattle’s most popular DJ, few other notable actors have come close to playing Han in “A New Hope.” Al Pacino, in particular, rejected this role Because he didn’t get the script for the movie. Likewise, Christopher Walken once pointed this out The Independent“I auditioned (for Han Solo), but I don’t think I came even remotely close to getting the job.”

Even Freddy Krueger himself, Robert Englund, tried to play Han, but it wasn’t a great match. But fortunately, He helped push his roommate Mark Hamillauditioned for the role of Luke Skywalker, and, well, the rest is history from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Meanwhile, Grammer may have missed out on starring in the “Star Wars” movie, but he was eventually needed on the bridge A rule-breaking episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”

In “The Next Generation” season 5, episode 18, “Cause and Effect”, Grammer appears as Morgan Batson, captain of the USS Boseman. The same character would return years later in an episode of the animated series “Star Trek: Lower Decks,” although he doesn’t actually speak there. Well, it’s not exactly Just like playing the famous rogue in “Star Wars,” but at least Batson didn’t get stabbed in the chest by his son. Sorry Han, old friend.