Star Wars Episode VII proved to be a massive box office hit. That’s good news for Disney, as they have plenty of other Star Wars related content releasing over the next five years. One of their projects is a film focusing on the younger years of Han Solo.
The studio recently announced its leading man for the film, Alden Ehrenreich.
Born in Los Angeles, California, Ehrenreich is an up and coming actor in Hollywood. He’s had a passion for film for quite some time. After high School he studied acting at New York University. And while he never finished his degree, Ehrenreich and his friend Zoe Worth founded The Collectin, a collection of work from actors, writers, producers, and others in the world of cinema and stage, collaborating on film and theater projects.
It’s quite an interesting story as to how Ehrenreich was discovered. He was at friend’s bat mitzvah reception of all places. It was there that the great Stephen Speilberg noticed the actor when he saw a short comedy that showcased Ehrenreich’s talents.
The acting career of Ehrenreich started with roles on shows such as Supernatural and CSI. His first leading role came from the Francis Ford Coppola film, Tetro, where he garnered high praise.
It wasn’t until the 2013 film, Beautiful Creatures, that Ehrenreich truly became mainstream. He earned himself two Teen Choice Awards for his role as Ethan Wate.
He was featured in a few projects after his performance in Creatures, but it was the 2016 Cohen Brothers film, Hail Caesar, that has recently had him in the spotlight.
The performance in Hail Caesar was a big contributor in Ehrenreich’s stock amongst Hollywood producers. Because of this, he auditioned for the role of Han Solo. Ehrenreich was viewed as the frontrunner for the role for quite some time. It was announced on May 5th, 2016 that he had indeed gotten the part.
Ehrenreich will need to study up on his Harrison Ford to play the role of Han Solo. While he will play a younger version of the classic character, the same characteristics of the Star Wars favorite need to be on full display. Fanboys will pick apart every detail of Ehrenreich’s performance, and if it’s not up to par they will let the world know.
Star Wars fans need not worry though, as Disney is very good about casting the right actors for their roles. The 26-year-old Ehrenreich is the perfect choice for Han Solo.
He’s got the acting chops for the role, and will prove to be every bit as good as Harrison Ford’s portrayal of elder Han Solo.
Follow Daniel James Gentile on Twitter at @dgentleman9288