Al Pacino on turning down Star Wars: ‘I can’t play something if I don’t speak the language’

Legendary actor Al Pacino recently revealed that he was once offered a role in a Star Wars film, but declined because he couldn’t connect with the material.

The iconic sci-fi franchise launched in 1977 with its first film, starring Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford and directed by George Lucas.

Pacino claimed he found the script difficult to grasp

Since then, Star Wars has expanded to a total of 12 films, with the most recent release being Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), directed by J.J. Abrams.

Pacino shared that although he admired the team behind Star Wars, he found the script difficult to grasp.

"I really appreciated their work, but I was performing on Broadway at the time when they gave me the script," he recalled.

"And I thought I don’t understand this. It felt like I was in outer space myself."

Seeking a second opinion, Pacino turned to his friend and mentor, Charlie Loughton. "I asked him, ‘What do you make of this?’

And he told me, ‘I don’t get it, Al.’ And I said, ‘Neither do I. What are we supposed to do? They’re offering a fortune, but I can’t do it. I can’t play something if I don’t speak the language,’" Pacino explained.

Pacino is currently starring in The Ritual, directed by David Midell, which hit theatres on June 6. The film also features Abigail Cowen.