But if the stars had aligned differently, the space epic could have been Al Pacino’s followup to The Godfather if he had not turned down the role of Han Solo. In the Academy Award winner’s memoir, Sonny Boy,

Pacino was always interested in his craft, never the stardom that came with it. The Godfather turned Al Pacino from a small-time, hustling stage thespian to an international movie star. Almost immediately,

Pacino isn't the only actor who was in the running for Han Solo or turned it down. Burt Reynolds turned it down, saying he later regretted the decision. Sylvester Stallone auditioned for it, and Kurt Russell did as well--you can even watch Russell's audition tape.