Recasting Star Wars

By Kat
Staff Writer

January 09, 2011

Imagine George Lucas was rebooting Star Wars in 2011 and you were the casting director. Who would you cast as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo? It's a tough decision, but here are my picks for a new Star Wars cast.

Haley Joel Osment as Luke Skywalker
BORN: April 10, 1988
MOVIES: Forrest Gump (1994), The Sixth Sense (1999), Pay It Forward (2001), A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (2001)

Fans tossed around Haley's name quite a bit as a prospective Anakin, so why not turn The Sixth Sense star into Luke Skywalker? His boyish looks and emotional intensity make Osment a prime candidate for the Tatooine farmboy.

Miley Cyrus as Princess Leia
BORN: November 2, 1992
MOVIES: Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009), The Last Song (2010), LOL: Laughing Out Loud (2011)

Most people (and by "people" I mean preteen girls) know and adore Miley for her TV alterego, Hannah Montana. The daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus, she was born into showbusiness, not unlike Princess Leia actress Carrie Fisher. Miley's superstardom has empowered her with a confidence and spunk necessary for the Princess Leia role.

Sam Worthington as Han Solo
BORN: August 2, 1976
MOVIES: Terminator Salvation (2009), Avatar (2009), Clash of the Titans (2010)

Ever since Terminator Salvation and Avatar launched Worthington into stardom, this Aussie actor has been keeping busy. Worthington's ruggedness, charm and likeability make him a suitable candidate for Han Solo.

Hugh Laurie as Ben Kenobi
BORN: June 11, 1959
TELEVISION: House MD (2004-present), A Bit of Fry and Laurie (1989-1995)

Throughout his extensive television career, Hugh Laurie has played both comical and cumudgeonly characters. In his role as Dr. House he often embodies both traits at the same time. Ben Kenobi is quirky loner and outsider as well, and Laurie's range of roles and emotional depth as an actor make him a prime candidate for the wise old Jedi Knight.

Bonus: Hugh Laurie gave a spot on delivery of the line, "These aren't the droids you're looking for," in an episode of House Season 7. (Watch the clip on YouTube)

Ralph Fiennes as Governor Tarkin
BORN: December 22, 1962
MOVIES: Schindler's List (1994), The English Patient (1996), Red Dragon (2002), Harry Potter films

Let's face it, Ralph Fiennes is good at being bad. He played the Nazi war criminal Amon Göth in Schindler's List, Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter franchise, and even Hades in Clash of the Titans. It's no stretch of the imagination to contemplate Fiennes' eloquently chilling delivery of lines like, "Charming to the last. You don't know how hard I found it, signing the order to terminate your life."

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