Robert Englund has claimed that he’s responsible for Mark Hamill landing his iconic role as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars.
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The actor, best known for his role as Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare On Elm Street, was sharing an apartment with Hamill when casting was taking place for 1977’s Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.
Speaking in a new interview, Englund, who auditioned for the role of Han Solo in the film, said he told Hamill he should get in contact with the casting agents because he would be perfect for the now iconic role.
“Mark Hamill was my roommate and I said to him, ‘You know, George Lucas is doing another movie and you might be right for this’,” the actor told the Inside Of You podcast.
“So my once upon a time in Hollywood story is that Freddy Krueger told Luke Skywalker to call his agent and he got the part. His agent hates me telling this story, because she insists that she already submitted him for the part.”
Going on to talk about his own Star Wars audition, Englund said that although the part of Han Solo ultimately went to Harrison Ford he isn’t too disappointed that he didn’t get to join Hamill in the sci-fi franchise.
“I went to go in for an audition for the Frederic Forrest role in Apocalypse Now, I was too young but I got in for the surfer because I surfed, so they brought me in for the surfer. I did not get that,” he explained.
“Somebody then walked me across from the Apocalypse Now audition, and were like, ‘You might be right for someone here’, and they brought me over to the Star Wars audition, I don’t even think it was called Star Wars then, they took my polaroid – like a mug shot, profile and full face – and I think it was for the Han Solo role.”
He continued: “They didn’t know how to go with it, originally they were thinking of an older uncle, the kind of guy that brings a joint to Thanksgiving and gets all the kids high, the cool, older uncle. I think they even offered it to Tom Selleck and he turned them down.
“Anyway I go across the hall and I’m just excited because I just love George Lucas.”
Meanwhile, Zack Snyder has revealed he still plans to make his long-rumoured, samurai-inspired Star Wars film – but it’s no longer going to be attached to the sci-fi franchise.
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