It is difficult to believe that anyone would actually turn down the opportunity to be play a Jedi Master or a Sith Lord, yet one famous actor actually decided to pass up the chance to be Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Toshiro Mifune's daughter Mika has just shared a story about her legendary father during the recent announcement of Tokyo Comic-Con.
"I heard from my father that he was offered the role of Obi Wan Kenobi, but he was concerned about how the film would look and that it would cheapen the image of samurai, on which George Lucas had based a lot of the character and fighting style," Mika revealed.
But why turn down a role that would soon become a pop culture icon? Toshiro Mifune had a valid reason.
"At the time, sci-fi movies still looked quite cheap as the effects were not advanced and he had a lot of samurai pride," Mika explained.
There is no doubt that George Lucas was eager to have Toshiro Mifune in 'Star Wars,' which was actually inspired by the Kurosawa classic 'The Hidden Fortress.' When the 'Seven Samurai' star turned down the chance to portray Obi-Wan Kenobi, George Lucas had another major role to offer.
"There was talk about him taking the Darth Vader role as his face would be covered, but in the end he turned that down too," Mika confirmed.
George Lucas isn't the only director who was eager to work with Toshiro Mifune. Akira Kurosawa had initially seen the actor during a huge talent search for Toho Studios, where MIfune amazed the director with his performance. "I am a person rarely impressed by actors, but in the case of Mifune I was completely overwhelmed," Kurosawa admitted.
Toshiro Mifune is best known for his collaborations with Akira Kurosawa like 'Rashomon,''Yojimbo' and 'Red Beard.' The legendary actor passed away in 1995.
