At the time, Alec Guinness was paid $150,000 ($762,000 today) to play Obi-Wan Kenobi in January 1976. war of the galaxies – A character that Evan McGregor brought to life in later films and now in the miniseries. obi wan kenobiDebuting May 27 on Disney+: The 61-year-old was already a screen legend, starring in more than 50 films, including the Oscar-winning role of Colonel Nicholson in David Lynn’s 1957 masterpiece. Bridge over the River Kwai. However, Obi-Wan sent Guinness into an entirely different stratosphere where he was not always comfortable.
Director George Lucas portrayed Jedi as “a cross between the wizard Merlin and the samurai warrior,” Guinness told an interviewer after the film became a worldwide hit. “You can’t beat him. And unlike cosmic fantasies, the characters created by George Lucas are not made of cardboard. And the story is fascinating. “Here is the quest, the encounters with other life forms, and the conflict between good and evil.” Personally, however, Guinness dismissed the script as “fairy tale trash” to his friends until he agreed to a role he would forever be remembered for. He only did this after 20th Century Fox agreed to his request to double the original offer and, quite cleverly, impose 2% of the proceeds, while Lucas gave another 0.25% as an expression of goodwill after he was done. .
The May 20, 1977 THR review (insert) states that Guinness was “introduced” as Obi-Wan, the role that would earn him an Oscar nomination for a supporting role.
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The film was released on May 25, 1977, and Guinness’ surprising response to its acceptance was recorded in his diary. May 27: “Excellent news about the reaction war of the galaxies Keep logging in. June 3: “I have my hopes war of the galaxies An interest that would bring me .000 100,000 or more if that were the case jaws Business as planned. ”
the movie passed jawsThe deal, which grossed over $300 million on its original launch, took in over $7 million in Guinness immediately (now $33 million) and around $95 million in 2000, at age 86. Despite this unprecedented salary, which reached 20 minutes on screen, Guinness did not want to go back to an overtime.
Over lunch at Morton’s in 1979, Lucas asked if he was thinking about going back to work for “a few days”. Star Wars II – Later known as The empire will answer. A week later, Guinness wrote in her diary: “I said yes to a day’s work Star Wars II “…This is silly, but when I saw what I owed George Lucas, I finally didn’t give up.”
The story first appeared in the May 25 issue of The Hollywood Reporter. Click here to subscribe.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.
