Two-time Oscar winner Jodie Foster has spoken about turning down the role of Princess Leia in the original “Star Wars” film trilogy.
Appearing on Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show to promote “True Detective: Night Country,” the celebrated veteran actress confirmed reports she was offered the role back in the late 1970s when she was a teenager.
At that time she was a young teenager making it big in films like “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” “Tom Sawyer,” and “Taxi Driver”. However she opted out of the role due to a prior commitment to a Disney movie.
The role ultimately went to Carrie Fisher who was 19 years old at the time as opposed to Foster who would’ve been around 14. Talking about passing on the role, Foster says:
“They were going for a younger Princess Leia but I had a conflict. I was doing a Disney movie and I just didn’t want to pull out of the Disney movie because I was already under contract. So I didn’t do it.
[Carrie Fisher] did an amazing job. I don’t know how good I would have been. I might have had different hair. I might have gone with a pineapple.”
The Disney film in question could be either the original “Freaky Friday” or “Candleshoe” which marked Helen Hayes’ final role. Foster could be back in awards contention shortly for her supporting work in “Nyad”.
She can be seen on HBO over the next few weeks leading the fourth season of “True Detective”.