On the eve of Solo: A Star Wars Story‘s theatrical release, Cheers and Frasier star Kelsey Grammer recalled the time he missed out on playing the role of Han Solo in the original Star Wars film. Appearing on Wednesday’s Conan to promote his Netflix animated series Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia, Grammer and host Conan O’Brien discussed the fact that the former’s character, the troll Blinky, has a brother named Dictatious. And who provides the latter’s voice? None other than Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill.
Cue O’Brien’s amazement at the fact that a 20-something Grammer met with a 30-something George Lucas about “this movie about outer space” after the young actor was kicked out of New York’s Juilliard School. He specifically recalled Lucas wanted someone to play a “John Wayne character,” a reference he’s used before to describe Solo. Grammer obviously didn’t get the part, but can you imagine him playing a Wayne-like figure? Or even a Wayne impression, for that matter?
Honestly, it’s hard to picture the man who brought Frasier Crane to life doing the same for Solo. Then again, the fact that Grammer is even remotely connected to the Star Wars universe is great. Young Lando Calrissian himself, Donald Glover recently said (via Fader) that a standalone Lando film should be akin to “Frasier in space — like, a high-end guy in space.”
Do you think Kelsey Grammer would have made a great Han Solo? Does “Frasier in space” sound like a great Star Wars standalone film? Let us know in the comments!
Image: TBS
More Solo news to Han:
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- Solo‘s cast answer the most-Googled questions.
- Ron Howard reveals Solo‘s cinematic influences.
- AÂ look at the never-aired Star Wars Detours.
