Carrie Fisher was known for her iconic role of Princess Leia in the Star Wars franchise. Her casting in the original 1977 film was also her breakthrough in Hollywood and made her a beloved actress until her death.
However, before Fisher was cast to play the fan-favorite character, there were several actresses that George Lucas reportedly considered for the role including Jodie Foster, who was a prolific teen actress during that time.
Today, it's hard to imagine any other actress playing Princess Leia besides Fisher, but you also can't help but wonder how Foster or the other actresses in consideration would have fared well in the role.
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Jodie Foster Almost Played Princess Leia in Star Wars
In her recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jodie Foster was asked about the reports that she was offered for the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars.
The two-time Oscar winner confirmed that she indeed received an offer, but she turned it down because she was contractually tied to a Disney movie during that time.
"I was, yeah. 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," Foster said.
"I didn't do it. They 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."
If Foster ended up playing the role, it would have been a different version of Princess Leia since the actress was around 14 years old during the time that she was offered the role while Fisher was 19 when the film was shot.
You could also argue that Foster's career trajectory may also have been different if she ended up playing Princess Leia and who knows if she would have still been able to play her iconic roles such as Clarice Starling and Nell Kellty.
In the end, everything worked out for all sides as Fisher had her major Hollywood breakthrough while Foster's career became more prolific even if she didn't star in a major blockbuster.
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