Jodie Foster was offered the coveted role of Princess Leia in Star Wars , but she had to pass it up.
Foster revealed the fun fact during a Jan. 17 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon , saying she was approached to play the role back in the 1970s.
"I saw online that you were offered the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars. Is that true?" Fallon asked. "I was, yeah," Foster replied, explaining that previous filming commitments were too much for him to accept.
"They wanted young Princess Leia, but I was conflicted," she said. "I was doing a Disney movie and I just didn't want to quit because I had a contract."
"I might have different hair"
Although she didn't star in the sci-fi epic, Foster told Fallon that the Star Wars team "did an incredible job."
"I didn't know how good I would be (playing Princess Leia)," Foster said of the role eventually awarded to the late Carrie Fisher. "You know, I might have had different hair. I might have gone with pineapple," she added, referring to the character's famous space bun hairstyle.
Fisher first joined the Star Wars franchise in 1977. Her last appearance was in 2019's The Rise of Skywalker , which was released following her death in 2016.
Foster isn't the only famous actor linked to Leia. Sigourney Weaver, Sissy Spacek, Anjelica Huston and Meryl Streep were also reported to have auditioned. However, Fisher was unaware of Streep's potential casting.
"I've never heard of this," she told The Daily Beast in 2015. "But Jodie Foster is ready...that's what I know best." Amy Irving and Jodie. I see. "
