“He's cool and he's charming and he's funny and he's gorgeous,” stated Emilia Clarke.
Years before he became a young Han Solo, Alden Ehrenreich had already acted in films by Francis Ford Coppola, Woody Allen, and the Coen Brothers.
“He stole a Coen Brothers movie off the Coen Brothers,” said Paul Bettany. “You know, they're the stars of their movies. And he blew me away in that.”
Alden beat out 3,000 hopefuls to play Solo, sealing the deal in a screen test on the Millennium Falcon with Chewbacca as his copilot.
“I just knew there was something about this kid,” said Joonas Suotamo. “He's not that much younger than me but I knew he was the perfect choice.”
So, how did Alden find out he got the role?
“I was editing a short film that I made and I got a phone call from the director at the time and they said ‘You got the part,’” said Alden. “I have been auditioning for six months, I was just over the moon.”
You may see a quality that reminds you of someone else who's scruffy looking? The actor who will always be Han Solo to Star Wars fans gave Alden his blessing.
“Harrison Ford sat down and had dinner with him and was incredibly impressed and he said ‘I just hope Alden gets the chance to create his own version of Solo because he's a very creative guy,’” said Ron Howard.
“It was really wonderful to meet him,” said Alden.
Travel and accommodations provided by Walt Disney.
