I’m sorry, but Kelsey Grammer will never be anyone other than Frasier Crane to me. But, long before he took on that iconic role, in a galaxy far, far away, the actor had a chance to join the legacy of Star Wars, and let’s just say the audition did not go well.
The original trilogy of Star Wars movies are damn near perfect, and sadly, I just can’t say they would have been anywhere near as good had Grammer joined the Star Wars cast. With Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford taking on key roles as two of the very best Star Wars characters, it’s hard to imagine how Grammer could have improved on their interpretations of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo.
That didn’t stop him trying, though. In an appearance on the In Depth podcast earlier this year, Grammer recounted his experience of attending an open casting call for a new sci-fi movie way back when, and admitted he never heard anything back.
Grammer explained how he was introduced to an agent, who told him to visit a man who had a pretty big idea. “I walk around and knock on the door, sure enough, they call me in, and I sit down, and there is… I didn’t know him at the time, George Lucas,” Grammer recalled. “[He said] ‘We’re making this thing… a fairytale in space. You know, two guys rescue a princess.’ Great, sounds like fun. So he said, ‘You’re right for… well, there’s two parts… maybe the older guy. He’s kind of, you know, a gunslinging kind of guy… an adventurer.”
Despite Lucas suggesting Grammer might be a good fit, the actor didn’t hear from him again. In fact, he didn’t even realize what he had missed out on until he was watching Star Wars himself. “I’m watching a little bit longer, and holy shit, this is that movie. This is that thing the guy told me about. It’s them… Oh, my god. And, you know, I either dodged a bullet or missed a really big opportunity,” he added.
I would argue it’s Star Wars fans who dodged the bullet, to be honest. I love Grammer’s work as Frasier Crane, but the thought of him being Han Solo just feels weird. While Grammer could probably nail the sarcastic edge the character needs, Harrison Ford plays the scruffy nerf herder with an inimitable charm and likeability that Grammer just cannot bring to the table.
As for Luke Skywalker, I’m not sure Grammer could ever fool me into thinking he is the naïve, young farmer who is just beginning his journey to being a Jedi Master. He has such a gravitas about him that I think the only way I could ever see Grammer in this franchise, would be if they cast him now, as a more wizened and experienced Jedi. Or, maybe a grumpy, old Star Wars villain would suit him better? Who knows, perhaps the new Star Wars movies will make that happen?