MovieChat Forums > Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) Discussion > the reason Alden got the role over Ingru...

the reason Alden got the role over Ingruber

posted 7 years ago by bozo_500 (13243)
31 replies | jump to latest

This Alden dude is an already established actor who (according to his IMDB bio) Spielberg discovered years ago

The Ingruber guy is a sort of YouTube sensation who lucked into playing young Ford in the Age of Adaline almost like had they looked at a lookalike for hire webpage and casted a Ford lookalike. like a walking FX piece - an alternative to CG deaging

My guess is someone high up said 'no Ingruber' (despite him being the more obvious choice and had done the Adaline movie) .. perhaps they didn't want a sort of media circus about a YouTube lookalike guy getting the role over an established actor? Or didn't want too much an impersonation? (we'll see what happens if they do a Young Indy movie)

interestingly on the IMDB trivia for Solo he isn't mentioned on being on the short list for the role and that the original Lego/Jumps St directors wanted Alden (maybe Ron Howard would've gone with someone else?)

[–] bobbynynex (1505) 7 years ago

spielberg "discovered" Alden at a bar mitzah. end thread/

[–] bozo_500 (13243) 7 years ago

that's what I meant

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

Great post! Especially your mentioning IMDbs trivia for Solo. Just checked out Ingrubers page and in his trivia it states he was THE fan favorite. Check out the video of Lord and the other director telling of the process that found Alden...there is some serious shit being said between the lines...bet when they got fired this panel discussion was mentioned...I'll try to bounce a link...good stuff!

[–] Keelai (35291) 7 years ago

His impersonation is good, but is he a good actor? If Disney and Kennedy were competent, I would assume that he's just not a good actor. But, they're incompetent so it could just be a stupid decision not to hire him. Who knows? I'd like to see an audition tape.

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

And with Alden needing acting coaches for his portrayal of one of the most recognizable characters in pop culture...not to mention 6 inch lifts...an established actor isn't proving up to the challenge either.
I thought anthonys impersonation video on YouTube was quite impressive...and it is nine years old! Since then he has continued to act honing his craft and actually has only four fewer acting credits than Alden. Much like yourself...I would really like to see his audition. Guess I'll just have to chuck it into the suddenly growing pile of should a woulda and coulda been great about Star Wars...but wasn't! Loving these new directions for a galaxy far far away 😡

[–] NotoriousRio (12927) 7 years ago

I put it down to incompetence, if they had gone with Ingruber, I imagine it would have generated a little excitement among fans that are in the know, instead of the universal “meh!” when Alden was announced with a little more “meh!” after viewing him in the trailer.

If they had gone with Ingruber fans would have shared links to his videos, watched Age of Adaline etc, building up excitement that this guy might actually pull it off, instead we got a dwarf with as much charisma as Grumpy! Meh!

[–] janelsenor (2048) 7 years ago

Ingruber was never a contender for the role.

[–] Renovatio (2990) 7 years ago

The way fanboys go on about portraying Hans Solo is as if it's Richard III... It's not... You just have to smirk at the screen occasionally.. The rest is running, driving and such.. Like any action/fantasy movie...

Anyone who looks plausable can pull it off... You don't even need to be able to do the pew-pew laser gun noises... they add those in for you later 😂

Guys, please get a grip...

I'm surprised they didn't do the whole CGI-prosthetic face-match thing that was done in Looper... I suppose they'd have to get clearance from Ford to use his likeness though and it might have involved him spending time on yet another StarMovie...

[–] Otter (24464) 7 years ago

You're right that this isn't Shakespeare, but playing a charming action hero does require more than a certain look, it requires... well, charm for a start. Getting an audience to like a character and identify with them and root for them during through even the silliest adventures takes a particular skill set, one beyond the skill of the average young actor or youtube wannabe. What they need for this film is an actor who will charm and engage the audience, someone who can make people think "He is the MAN", and being able to imitate Harrison Ford doesn't mean that someone can imitate Harrison Ford's appeal to audiences, or his ability to carry an entire film. And yeah, Ford himself isn't a great actor, but he always had that universal appeal. When he appeared on film, everyone liked him, whether he was trying or not!

So the guy who plays young Solo has the double challenge of both getting the audience to think he is THE MAN in a new series of film adventures, and imitating another actor but not imitating him too closely because young Solo isn't the same person as the Solo we know. And anyone who thinks some untrained guy from youtube can do that knows nothing about acting.

[–] Renovatio (2990) 7 years ago

I agree... Too bad they couldn't get Shia Labeouf... 😉

[–] Otter (24464) 7 years ago

Disagree about LeBeouf, because he's lacked that universal likeability I was talking about, has since he grew up, and everyone who's seen "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" knows it. That's what he was supposed to bring, and didn't. Plus he's had issues with unprofessional behavior, which just won't do on a big film like this.

Still, better him than Miles Teller, now there's a punchable face.

[–] Renovatio (2990) 7 years ago

I know... I was kidding 😉 ... LeBeouf is too much of an Arteste 😂

Imagine a Miles Teller Han Solo! Hahaha... That would have been interesting... I liked him in Whiplash and think he plays unlikable characters very well...

I'd imagine he'd probably make a good villain

I doubt they'll be able to find someone to capture what Ford was like in his youth... Even if they did, just having him in that role would raise fanguy questions... The best they can hope for is getting someone who can capture the mannerisms and can be made up to look like a younger Han Solo

[–] Otter (24464) 7 years ago

Actually, the best they can hope for is an actor so charming, funny, badass, and sexy... that we can forget he's not actually Han Solo.

What are the odds.

[–] Quint (957) 7 years ago

I see. Thats why Alden needed an acting coach. Cause its only .... pew-pew! Thanks for your insight!

[–] Renovatio (2990) 7 years ago

What do you think of Alden's Solo? Did he pull it off or was he as bas as you feared?

I haven't seen the movie...

[–] Quint (957) 7 years ago

Just seen the trailer. And there he was .... a comedian trying to act like Harrison Ford.

[–] Taylorfirst1 (107) 7 years ago

Did this Ingruber guy even audition for the role?

[–] bozo_500 (13243) 7 years ago

He's not mentioned as having auditioned on the trivia page and they literally have every actor in the age range as having auditioned on there.

Be really strange if he didn't though as he was in the Adaline movie

[–] bozo_500 (13243) 7 years ago

the son of Kasdan has now revealed he DID audition for the Lego directors but they went with Alden
https://heroichollywood.com/solo-star-wars-anthony-ingruber-han/

im thinking now that they chose Alden as he was funny in that Coen Bros comedy movie about Hollywood and has kind of a funny face too and they were basically making a Han Solo comedy which is apparently what ultimately got them fired (so Alden was adept at comedy and Glover is like a comedian right? - both have humorous faces and are same height too notably shorter than Ford/BDW) so when the direction of the movie changed into something more 'straight' Alden needed coaching to be more like Ford I guess.. . wonder who Ron Howard would've chosen had he been directing from the outset? (maybe Ingruber and Michael B Jordan – more similar looking and same heights as the originals)

[–] dteam6 (5073) 7 years ago

Considering the fact that this is all coming from the same people who thought NOT having Luke, Han and Leia onscreen together again was a good idea, who thought Astral Luke was a good idea, etc--it doesn't surprise me at all that they thought NOT going for the guy who looks/acts the most like Solo was a good idea.

Disney Star Wars reminds me of the DCCU: horrid casting choices, horrid plotlines, sh!tty shared universe that is all over the place and lacks MCU's cohesion, sh!tty villains, no soul, no competence, no plan.

[–] maul (1656) 7 years ago

Ingruber would have been a HORRIBLE choice. He doesn't have the charisma, and he's just an impressionist at best, not a serious actor.

I don't even see what people find great about his impression in the first place. It's cheap, and unconvincing imo. He looks and sounds like him a little bit - that's it. Nothing below the surface. Even the mannerisms aren't convincing.

I thought they should have chosen Ansel Elgort, who was in the final running.

[–] Saenzwa9 (495) 7 years ago

Ingruber would have been more convincing then Ehrenreich, and probably wouldn't have needed an acting to coach to channel Ford. Elgort looks even less like Ford then Ehrenreich.

[–] maul (1656) 7 years ago

I guess you did not understand my comment. Ingruber would have given the shallow, surface-level performance of an imitator (and an average imitator at that). You need a lot more than that to carry a movie. He's not a leading man.

Alden actually ended up doing a decent job, which is more impressive considering that he doesn't look or sound much like Ford - that is what you want... emulation, not imitation. Someone who can put their own creative spin on the role. Ansel I think could have done an even better job, because he has more charisma, swagger, and has proven he can carry a movie as a serious actor. Why people are so caught up in surface-level traits, and think they can carry a movie, is beyond me.

[–] Quint (957) 7 years ago

Yes, Aldens perfect rendition of Harrison Ford was a huge success :) . Even after al thos acting coach sessions he had to take to appear like a real actor! Alden was the worst decision possible for this role. And thats part of the reason why Solo failed completely.

[–] maul (1656) 7 years ago

Go back to school, kid. Your reading comprehension and writing abilities are fucking awful. Acting lessons are A: irrelevant when it comes to the final product, and B: overblown bullshit:

"The “coach” in question was writer-director Maggie Kiley, he said: “She was part of conversations that happened for a couple weeks at one point, but that was basically it.” Lord and Miller also told Esquire that Kiley is someone they’ve worked with before, and that she was brought on as a resource for themselves and the entire cast—not just Ehrenreich."

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/04/alden-ehrenreich-han-solo-interview-acting-rumors

Most people are fine with Alden's performance. It's not spectacular but it's passable. There is discussion about how he isn't completely in line with Ford's mannerisms, but people who have more than two brain cells realize that a total imitation was not the goal.

[–] Quint (957) 7 years ago

So thats your last resort :) .

[–] maul (1656) 7 years ago

Feel free to check my edit. I don't continue to communicate with people who are obviously idiots however, so don't expect further replies.

[–] Quint (957) 7 years ago

"The extensive Vulture report also confirms previous reports about Ehrenreich having an acting coach assigned to him. Vulture's source said producers wanted "something very specific: copying someone else," adding that Ehrenreich isn't a bad actor but his performance became "more relaxed" as the shoot continued. "

https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2018/03/solo-star-wars-story-reshoots-alden-ehrenreich-acting-coach-directors-mistakes

And really .... Alden downplayed that he needed an acting coach at the pre release article. What a surprise, freak!

[–] Quint (957) 7 years ago

Yep, a guy which even need an acting coach for playing Harrison Ford is indeed the way better solution :) .