Star Wars fans will never forget the arrival of the iconic installment of heroes in the 1977 movie. Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia Organa, and Obi-Wan Kenobi rival Darth Vader and the Empire for the first time in the film that has now launched the multibillion dollar franchise.
At the time, the film did present some risks. And Sir Alec Guinness was not happy to take part in that.
Guinness—who died on this day, August 5, in 2000—played the mysterious and mystical Obi-Wan Kenobi in a role that was far from his normal acting status.
The star had originally made a name for himself by appearing in Shakespearean stage shows as well as serious war films, such as The Bridge on the River Kwai. So when George Lucas offered the role as “a combination of wizard Merlin and samurai warrior” he was reluctant to join the series. But Lucas knew he was perfect for Kenobi.
In the end, Guinness agreed to join the film, but had a stipulation about his payout.
Guinness negotiated a percentage of the Star Wars earnings, in addition to his salary.
The British acting legend was able to permanently claim 2.5 percent of the movie’s earnings.
This means that when the movie came out and achieved great reviews, it earned $3.3 million in hangovers.
He later wrote in his diary: “Fantastic news of the reaction to Star Wars continues to emerge. I am pinning my hopes on a Star Wars percentage that could fetch me £100,000 or more if it works at Jaws, as expected.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, by the time Guinness died in 2000 at the age of 86, he had earned more than $100 million, despite his character dying 20 minutes after the first movie.
However, success could not convince him to return.
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Guinness described his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi as “fairy rubbish but perhaps intriguing”.
He later wrote of filming: “I get a new trash dialogue every day on pink paper – and none of it makes my character obvious or even tolerable. I only think, fortunately, of pretty bread, which will help me carry on until next April even if Yahoo collapses in a week.” “.
The actor also later specifically criticized Lucas’ writing.
Guinness said in an interview, “What I didn’t tell Lucas was that I couldn’t keep speaking these awful, vulgar lines.”
He also said he was tired of the “dialogue bullshit” in the film.
He later admitted that he was “withering away” whenever an interview turned to discuss the sci-fi franchise – despite its success and the warmth it received from fans.
It was this hatred of the film that left him reluctant to return for the next two films, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
The Star Wars franchise is available to watch on Disney Plus now.
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