Does anyone know how close Robby came to getting the Luke Skywalker role? As I mentioned in another post, I think he and Mark Hamil have by far the best grasp of the role. Here Benson even keeps going when he flubs with the "Organa Minor" line. Now THAT's ACTING!
In the Star Wars auditions, Mark Hamill, makes it explosive, youthful and very strong and thereby manages to catch the audience with its energy. But Robby Benson achieves in his voice the gentle, the mystical, is more thoughtful, has more control in himself as an actor It expresses being much more stable for the scene.
I love Robby, but he sounded way too laid back for the role of Luke. His Luke would've been content on the farm, not joining the academy or being a pilot. Mark had so much energy as Luke, and it totally came through in his audition. He nailed it. I'm glad he got the role, and that Robby's happy doing what he does.
@@deb310red shrugs, but Luke didn't start off as a Jedi Knight He started off as a farm boy in New Hope and matured into a Jedi Knight in Return of the Jedi
The funny thing is that the way Benson sounds nowadays, he would've made more of a fit for the role of Anakin Skywalker, or at least an older version of the character.
I cannot believe how he looks lie today, he's in his 50s and he ridiculously looks better now than when he was a kid. Long hair and the goatee also looks great on him. But he has a bad heart, don't know if he could do the many stunts and fights in STar Wars, then and especially now.
No I don't believe they are. I got these off a VHS tape I got a long time ago (before DVDs of the movies existed) from a fellow fan online. No idea where he got his.
Maybe if he got the part I would have watched STAR WARS over and over again. I only watched it once during my teenage years and never watched it again. I love Robby Benson :-)
As much as I love Robbie Benson, and I sure do; he blew this one. Too bad. I'd loved it if he had gotten to play Luke, but I have to say, Mark Hamill was perfect as Luke Skywalker.
This poor bastard had to quit acting and go into producing and directing because he has a congenital heart condition that no studio would insure.. he kept it a secret throughout his whole acting career, until someone exposed him,
@MAYNOCK1974 I'll be damned. William Katt auditioned with Kurt Russell, so I thought I had that footage as part of my Kurt Russell video. But nope, I somehow managed to cut that part of Kurt's audition out! I uploaded his missing audition. Thanks!
It's fascinating to compare the readings of Hamill and Benson. Ford is obviously taking his cue on how to play it from their performances. Luke Skywalker is young and naive and also a dreamer with a noble heart. Benson accentuates the young/naive angle while Hamill accentuates the young/noble angle. I've watched it several times and Benson is clearly playing it as a boy while Hamill played it as a young man. I think that that was the difference that landed Hamill the part.
If you contrast the two auditions (this and Mark Hamills) Harrison Ford is much more softened up in the Hamill audition. Theres much more of a contrast here between them in terms of aggression, but I think Robby was a bit typecast at this point and Mark Hamill was pretty much an unknown at the time. Robby Benson would have made a better Luke, and would have likely been able to develop the character more as a more experienced actor.
1975. They already started shooting by March 1976. George Lucas and Brian De Palma were holding joint auditions for parts in Star Wars and Carrie respectively.
Basically, Leia knew "the art of mind control" because she was supposed to be a Bene Gesserit. As the movie developed Lucas dropped most of the overtly fantastical things (with the exception of the Jedi and the Force, of course) and gave it the rough-edged, lived-in space western feel it's now famous for, but at this stage in development it was basically a Dune movie with a few names changed around to avoid getting sued.
+monica anastasiadis Back in the "old days" of the internet, sharing video online was impossible. VHS tape trading was a thing though and it became easier to hook up with like-minded fans in forums. An old Star Wars friend online sent me a copy of a bootleg VHS making the rounds at comic conventions (they were smaller back then) and these were on it.
Robby also became a voice actor. He was the voice of the Beast in Disney's Beauty and The Beast, JT Mars in Exo Squad, and Santa Claus in some animated Santa movie.
@birthsqueeze2 agree 100% Robbie is an acomplished actor, director, he sings and he is a great Hubby and Daddy..I love em..maybe not right for this part but hey if he woulda got it..then maybe he would have been amazing in it, ppl can't imagine someone else playing a part that is NOW well known for the person who did it. Al Pacino sucked in his audition for Michael Corleone, and we all know how that worked out...c what I'm saying??? luv ya Robby...and Al "-)
@bakerandbaker1 stop being mean..Robby Benson made wonderful films, he is a great actor..."Harry and Son" comes to mind, beautiful, heart touching story, I believed Paul Newman and Robbie were father and son, that's how good they were!
If Robbie Benson had gotten the part of Luke Skywalker, he would had never done ICE CASTLES and Mark Hamill would had never done anything memorable, but minor tv parts! LOL
Benson is a farm boy but more sophisticated and worldly (force aware growing up)than Mark he doesn’t trust Solo at all. Solo help me or don’t it’s your ship Benson needs. Robby could figure it out without Solo/Ford Solo/Russell could have worked with Benson/Luke it could have worked Star Wars experts be nice and open minded
thats true.. for a new hope robby would be amazing for luke, as luke is being so .. kid like. but in return of jedi, i cant see this guy being serious. sorry.
