CT Does Sir Alec Guinness really hate SW?

That's a good one too.

 

You know my father said would've been an awesome Obi-Wan? Sean Connery

 

I think Peter Cushing could also have been a good one.

 

the guy who played Gandalf and Magneto could have played Obi-Wan as well. I forgot his name.

 

I always just assumed that he wanted to be remembered for the major roles he played and not for SW, which he probably thought was a little beneath him/was just a money grab role later on in his life.

 

"Why am I a Jedi?"
"Why doesh the shun come up? Or are the shtarsh jusht pin holesh in the curtain of night, who knowsh?"

 

I'd like to think that Alec might've realized over time that, as annoying as it might be to forever be associated with one role instead of a whole career, that such an association could actually help somebody's reputation over time. I'm somebody who grew up knowing about Alec Guinness first and foremost through his role as Obi-Wan, and because of that whenever I saw that he had appeared in a certain movie or television series, I always made sure to check it out. If it had Ben Kenobi in it, then it must be worth at least a try. Thanks to that, I was watching David Lean and John le Carre movies back when I was in middle school. Can't say I'd have done that if they didn't have a certain Jedi Master in them.

I will say that there's one thing I've always found a little discomfiting in his David Lean movies, and that's his use of make-up to portray characters outside of his race. He's a great actor, but it's really kind of ugly to see him in "Lawrence of Arabia". Same with Anthony Quinn-- great actors, but for god's sake don't expect brownface and a fake nose to make them look like they come from the same part of the world as Omar Sharif. I'm just glad that Guinness wasn't asked to play a Japanese officer in "River Kwai"...

 

There may be some truth to that, I'm fairly certain when Guinness signed on Obi-Wan was happily alive by the time they got to Yavin. Obi-Wan dying came at a later draft.

 

It came during shooting, actually.

 

Wasn't it Sir Alec who suggested the death of Obi-Wan in the first place? I seam to recall having heard him saying so in an interview or maybe his audio-diarys

 

No, actually; it was Lucas.

I'll admit to being disappointed he didn't live...General Kenobi commanding the Rebel fleet at the Battle Of Endor would have been awesome

 

Why doesn't anybody take notice of his own words. He became concerned with the fanatacism of the fanbase, and didn't think it was right for people to grow up so narrowly, and believe in simplisitc platitudes. I think he had a reaction to what he probably saw as a narrowing of thinking which the Star wars movies seemed (to him) to engender.

 

I thought it was Lucas who said that there was nothing for Obi-Wan to do on Yavin other than just sit and be wise. So he was killed off when his purpose was filled.

 

Actors don't owe us anything. The aggravated attitude largely comes from being bothered in public (or pestered with the same questions in interviews). I would never ask for an autograph or give a compliment to one unless it was at a convention and the celebrity was there for that.

 

I've always wondered exactly when Lucas dropped that one on him? Was it while they were sitting around in Tunisa waiting for the Dewback puppet to work, or were they shooting Obi-Wan vs. Vader and Guinness is all like "So, this is the part where I turn and run towards the ship with the other guys, right George?" then Lucas kind of looks down at his shoes and sheeplishly hands him new pages then promptly scurries off.

 

http://www.leninimports.com/alec_guinness_and_making_of_star_wars.html]Nice[/url] little well balanced article

Also, from what I understand, he did his bits in Empire and Jedi for free to help GL out...

 

He is dead, he cannot hate anything at the moment.

 

Admiral Ackbar: It's a trap!
General Kenobi: Yes yes, we know.

 

Pretty sensible.

Seems to me Star Wars would have been a failure without him, so all fans of the film should be pretty grateful towards him, whether or not (and it looks to be not) he was a jerk about it later on.

Also, to answer the thread question, from everything I've read, I think Sir Guinness did not, in fact, hate Star Wars.

 

From what I've read, he hated the obsessive fan part of it in part and how that one role eclipsed anything else he had accomplished in his life. As to that first part, it's somewhat akin to those who say kids should not be allowed so much TV and game time, and should get out in the neighborhood and play ball with the other kids. Not a great analogy, but a certain similarity - as in "get a real life" as some might put it.

 

He was excellent in Doctor Zhivago too, even in a supporting role (Yevgraf). The last scene is unforgettable.

Really ?

A bit strange....Valid only for Star Wars/ANH, not thereafter. The main baddy is revealed to have been once a good man and a great noble Jedi, until he's seduced and corrupted by Evil. Not exactly what I would call simplistic black and white morality. Needless to mention the prequels.

 

To be fair, I seem to remember it was actually Lucas' Wife Marcia who suggested to him that he could be killed off, as he had nothing more to do then than staying in the background crippled (injured by Vader at the duel).