While the world loves the Star Wars franchise, it turns out that beloved actor Sir Alec Guinness, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi, wasn’t a big fan when he filmed in 1976!
The new Letters Live series in London is unveiling the private correspondence of some of Britain’s most well-known stars, including a letter that Alec Guinness sent to a friend named Anne Kauffman while filming Star Wars: A New Hope. The letter was read at the event by none other than Oscar Isaac, who plays Poe Dameron in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
And it turns out the veteran actor didn’t think much of the production!
For instance:
“Can’t say I’m enjoying the film, – new rubbish dialogue reaches me every other day on wadges of pink paper – and none of it makes my character clear or even bearable.”
At the end of the letter, the actor also talked about his co-stars– one of whom whose name he just couldn’t remember– who he seemed to like, other than the fact that they treated him like a very, very old man (Guinness was 62 at the time.)
“I must off to studio and work with a dwarf (very sweet, – and he has to wash in a bidet) and your fellow countrymen Mark Hamill and Tennyson (that can’t be right) Ford – Ellison (? – No!*) – well, a rangy, languid young man who is probably intelligent and amusing. But Oh, God, God, they make me feel ninety – and treat me as if I was 106.”
That asterisk lead to a post-script that read “*Harrison Ford — have you heard of him?”
Want to see the bits that aren’t related to the film? Read the full letter here!
