Actresses That Nearly Played Princess Leia
Even now, nearly 50 years after the release of "Star Wars: A New Hope," you would be hard-pressed to find a character more beloved or iconic than Princess Leia Organa. Throughout the original "Star Wars" trilogy, Leia proves time and time again to be one of the most resourceful and interesting heroines in all of cinema — by turns an undercover spy, a ferocious revolutionary, and a veritable action hero, finally finishing up her formidable arc in the later films as a general in the Resistance against the remnants of the Empire known as the First Order.
Part of Leia's lasting appeal is of course due to the fiery performance of the late Carrie Fisher, who helped breathe life into the character whom George Lucas himself called the "true hero" of the original film. Because Fisher's name has now become synonymous with that of Princess Leia, it's easy to forget that the young actress had to compete against a massive number of other up-and-coming hopefuls for the part.
In fact, most of the actresses who were up for the role of Princess Leia would go on to have incredibly successful film and television careers in the years that followed "Star Wars." It's amusing now to look back and wonder what might have been had these stars actually beaten out Carrie Fisher for this historic role. Here are just a few of the actresses who almost played Princess Leia.
Farrah Fawcett
While some of the actresses who auditioned for the role of Princess Leia remain relatively unknown, one of the hopefuls who tossed her name in the ring was "Charlie's Angels" icon Farrah Fawcett.
Throughout the early-to-mid-1970s, Fawcett built up a respectable acting resume that included appearances in hit shows like "Harry-O" and "The Six Million Dollar Man," as well as a part in the 1976 science fiction classic "Logan's Run." That same year, Fawcett would become a pop culture icon with the debut of her famous "red swimsuit" pin-up poster — which went on to sell millions of copies across America, becoming the best-selling poster of all time, and is now preserved in the Smithsonian.
Considering Fawcett's meteoric rise in popularity throughout the '70s, it's no surprise that she was reportedly in the running to play Princess Leia alongside Carrie Fisher. Fawcett allegedly auditioned for the role as early as 1975, and one has to wonder if, had she auditioned a year later, the star power of her 1976 poster might have given her the edge over Fisher. As it was, Fawcett reached the upper echelon of Hollywood stardom less than a year after the poster's debut, famously starring in "Charlie's Angels" as fan favorite Jill Munroe.
Amy Irving
Another rising '70s star who auditioned for "Star Wars" was Amy Irving, who had only been working in Los Angeles since 1975. At the time, Irving had already performed on Broadway in "The Country Wife" and had recently completed her studies at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.
Irving achieved almost immediate success upon arriving in Hollywood — securing small roles in television series like "Happy Days" and "The Rookies," and auditioning for the role of Princess Leia Organa in "Star Wars: A New Hope." While she missed out on that part, Irving did manage to score the role of Sue Snell in the 1976 horror blockbuster "Carrie," based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. Irving's character tries to make it up to Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) for helping other girls humiliate her in the school locker room, leading to disastrous results and one of horror's greatest shock endings.
Irving's part in "Carrie" would launch an acting career that would span four decades of film, television, and theater, with some of her most famous roles being that of Anna Anderson in "Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna," and Hadass Vishkower in "Yentl." If you're curious to know what Amy Irving's version of Leia might have looked like, you'll be happy to hear that her audition is one of the few that has survived online, and is available to watch on YouTube.
Cindy Williams
Like Farrah Fawcett before her, Cindy Williams was yet another '70s icon who was a runner-up for the role of Princess Leia –- though unlike Fawcett she had already worked with George Lucas before her audition.
Following a few minor roles in shows like "Room 222" and "The Funny Side," Williams starred in George Lucas' second feature, "American Graffiti," where she played Steve Bolander's (Ron Howard) girlfriend Laurie. Though you might think this experience would give her a slight edge in her audition for "Star Wars," Lucas ultimately passed over Williams because he didn't want to repeat actors from "American Graffiti" (a rule he later broke when casting Harrison Ford).
Ironically, Cindy Williams' career path followed the same general trend as that of Fawcett and Amy Irving; auditioning for the part of Princess Leia just before landing her breakout role. In 1975 Williams earned the role of Shirley Feeney in an episode of "Happy Days," which was so popular that she was granted her own spinoff series in "Laverne and Shirley." "Laverne and Shirley" would run for eight seasons on ABC and became one of the most popular shows in the country — cementing Williams as a celebrity on par with Carrie Fisher herself. Williams' audition is also available on YouTube, where fans can watch and imagine what might have been if the actress had actually secured this iconic role.
Terri Nunn
Shocking as it might seem, one of the people who auditioned to play Princess Leia was New Wave musician Terri Nunn, best known today as the lead vocalist of Berlin. Nunn auditioned for "Star Wars" in 1975, one year before John Crawford would form a band called The Toys that eventually changed its name to Berlin — a name which the group continues to use right up to the present day. Nunn's audition for Princess Leia is currently available on YouTube, where you can watch the soon-to-be pop star bounce lines off a young Harrison Ford.
As most pop fans will know, Nunn joined the band in 1979 but left shortly after to pursue an acting career once again. She rejoined the band in 1980 and eventually achieved international recognition (as well as an Academy Award) for the chart-topping love song "Take My Breath Away," famously featured in "Top Gun." Nunn continues to serve as the band's primary vocalist in the present day, though her last acting credit dates all the way back to 2007 and an episode of the short-lived MTV series "Kaya."
Lisa Eilbacher
Another actress who actually secured an audition for "Star Wars" was Lisa Eilbacher, who already had a very active television and film career despite being just 19 at the time of her audition.
By 1975, Eilbacher had already starred in shows like "Gunsmoke," "The Waltons," "The Brady Bunch," and "Shazam!," and during her audition for Princess Leia she also read opposite Harrison Ford. After missing out on "Star Wars," Eilbacher continued to appear in a variety of films and television series throughout the late '70s and early '80s, including "The Amazing Spider-Man," "Hawaii Five-O," and the "Logan's Run" television series.
Today, Eilbacher is best known for her roles in the 1980s classics "Beverly Hills Cop" (in which she plays Axel Foley's childhood friend Jenny Summers) and "An Officer and a Gentleman" (where she played the charismatic but out-of-shape petty officer Casey Seegar). Eilbacher retired from acting in 1996, and there's no question that a role in "Star Wars" would have been the biggest part of her career had she landed it.
Linda Purl
As was the case with Carrie Fisher, actress Linda Purl was relatively unknown when she auditioned for the part of Princess Leia in 1975. In fact, Purl's first major acting role came that same year, when she starred in the comedy "Crazy Mama."
Prior to that film (and her ill-fated audition for "Star Wars"), Purl had several smaller roles on shows like "The Waltons," "Lucas Tanner," and "Happy Days" –- the latter of which would eventually gift her a career breakthrough in 1982. Purl originally appeared in Season 2 of "Happy Days" (playing the infrequent girlfriend of Ron Howard's Richie Cunningham), but her breakout came in Season 10 when she starred as Ashley Pfister, the serious girlfriend of Fonzie (Henry Winkler).
Outside of "Happy Days," Purl has starred in multiple hit shows like "Matlock," Bones," and "Desperate Housewives," and is also well known for playing Helene Beesly — mother of Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) and briefly lover of branch manager Michael Scott (Steve Carell) — on the beloved NBC sitcom "The Office." You can still watch Linda Purl's audition for Princess Leia on YouTube, and though she has enjoyed long-lasting success in the industry, one has to assume that her career would have taken off much quicker had she secured the part in "Star Wars."
Jodie Foster
Of the thousands of young stars who threw their hat in the ring for the role of Princess Leia, legendary actress Jodie Foster is perhaps the only one who was actually offered the role and rejected it. Foster made headlines in January 2024 when she explained on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" that she declined the role of Princess Leia due to a scheduling conflict. "I was [offered the role], yeah," Foster said. "And they were going for a younger, you know, Princess Leia. But I had a conflict. I was doing a Disney movie, and I just didn't want to pull out of the Disney movie because I had already — I was already under contract."
Foster added that she didn't know if she could have done a better job than Carrie Fisher, joking that she might have chosen a different hairstyle than the famous "cinnamon bun" hair that Fisher wore. "I might've gone with a pineapple," the actress quipped. Foster did not clarify which Disney film she was referring to, though she actually starred in two Disney films during this time: "Freaky Friday" in 1976, and "Candleshoe" in 1977.
In any case, Foster's incredible career — which includes acclaimed roles in films like "Taxi Driver," "The Accused," "The Silence of the Lambs," and "Contact," among many others — can stand on its own with or without "Star Wars," and the actress herself doesn't seem to regret passing on this iconic character.
Meryl Streep
Perhaps the biggest name on this list, acting legend Meryl Streep was reportedly considered for the role of Leia before the part eventually went to Carrie Fisher. Online reports indicate that Streep actually auditioned for the part, which would have been a major step forward for the actress since (at the time) she was primarily known for her work on the stage.
Like many of the names on this list, Streep's acting career experienced a serendipitous breakthrough almost immediately after missing out on the role of Princess Leia — earning a Tony Award nomination in 1976 for "27 Wagons Full of Cotton," followed by Oscar wins for "Kramer vs Kramer" in 1979 and "Sophie's Choice" in 1982. Streep has gone on to become one of the most prolific actresses of all time, with a stream of award-winning or nominated roles in films like "Silkwood," "Out of Africa," "Postcards from the Edge," "The Devil Wears Prada," and "The Iron Lady."
Even Carrie Fisher was shocked to hear that Streep had once auditioned for the role of Princess Leia on top of everything else she'd accomplished. "Bulls***," Fisher said to The Daily Beast after learning she supposedly beat out Streep for the part. "I've never heard that one." Though Streep's career hardly skipped a beat after missing out on "Star Wars," it certainly would have been interesting to see her take on this beloved character.
Anjelica Huston
Anjelica Huston is yet another actress who was in the midst of a career breakthrough around the time that auditions were being held for "Star Wars." Following her onscreen debut in 1968's "A Walk with Love and Death" (a film directed by her father, John Huston), Huston gained notoriety as a fashion model throughout the early '70s.
During this time she worked with popular brands like Vogue, Halston, and Avedon, before she turned her attention back to acting. It was during this time in 1975 when she was reportedly considered for the role of Princess Leia, though it has been claimed that she never actually auditioned for the part. Huston would return to Hollywood in 1976 alongside then-boyfriend Jack Nicholson, though her biggest role would not come until her father cast her in "Prizzi's Honor" in 1985. For her role as Maerose Prizzi, Huston won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, making her yet another Oscar-winning actress who might have played Leia.
While Huston obviously missed out on the original "Star Wars" trilogy, it's worth mentioning that she did finally join the franchise in 2023 — voicing the Sith Mother in the Disney+ series "Star Wars: Visions."
Jane Seymour
While some members of this list may have surpassed her in the later stages of their career, one could argue that Jane Seymour was (at the time) the most famous actress to be considered for the role of Princess Leia.
Though many auditioners would experience a career breakthrough post-"Star Wars," Seymour was already an international star when auditions were being held in 1975. She had risen to worldwide prominence with her performance as the Bond girl Solitaire in 1973's "Live and Let Die" — a psychic who betrays Dr. Kanaga (Yaphet Kotto) in order to assist James Bond (Roger Moore). While there's no denying Seymour's star power around the time that auditions were held, reports online indicate that Seymour was only considered for the role of Princess Leia, and do not clarify if she auditioned.
What is known about Seymour is that her career continued to skyrocket even after she was passed over for "Star Wars." Seymour appeared in a slew of classic '70s and '80s movie and TV hits like "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger," "Battlestar Galactica," and "Somewhere in Time," before 1993 found her settling into an award-winning six-season run in the title role of "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman." Jane Seymour continues to act today, with her most recent appearance coming in the Amazon Freevee rom-com "Puppy Love."
Sigourney Weaver
Before Sigourney Weaver became a sci-fi icon in her own right with her role in "Alien," the actress was reportedly in the running for Princess Leia as well. The reports of Weaver's consideration for "Star Wars" are particularly intriguing, given that both she and Carrie Fisher helped to revolutionize the concept of women in science fiction.
Weaver's performance as Ripley in the original "Alien" is often cited as a defining moment in the evolution of the genre, subverting expectations by turning this young female character into an action hero who survives on wits alone amid the title creature's rampage. Like Fisher in the "Star Wars" franchise, Weaver portrayed Ripley in several more films, including 1986's "Aliens," 1992's "Alien 3," and 1997's "Alien Resurrection."
Some have suggested that we have Ripley to thank for characters like Sarah Conner (Linda Hamilton) from "The Terminator," and even Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." As though the parallels between these two sci-fi heroines weren't obvious enough, it's also been reported that "Alien" itself was partly inspired by "Star Wars: A New Hope." Considering all the similarities between these characters, it certainly is remarkable that Sigourney Weaver almost had the chance to play both Princess Leia and Ripley.