There are plenty of stories surrounding the production of the Star Wars original trilogy, from Darth Vader actor David Prowse seemingly spoiling the identity of Luke's father to Harrison Ford's hopes that Han Solo would get killed off. But one of the most common tales surrounds Obi-Wan Kenobi actor Sir Alec Guinness. It's frequently said by fans that Guinness despised Star Wars. However, is that actually true?
Before Star Wars: A New Hope, Sir Alec Guinness appeared in more grounded movies, such as The Bridge on the River Kwai and The Card in the 1950s. Often playing the role of a high-ranking soldier or businessman, Guinness won several awards for his performances and was seen as one of Britain's best stars. So when he received the script for Star Wars, he immediately shrugged it off as "Not for me." But upon reading it, he told the BBC, "Although the dialogue was appalling, there was something about it which made you go on turning the pages."
Alec Guinness' Issues With Playing Obi-Wan Kenobi
It was Guinness' distaste for the dialogue that sparked all the rumors that he hated Star Wars, as the classically trained actor had no problem criticizing George Lucas' writing in every interview. Guinness wrote a letter to his friend, Anna Kaufman, during A New Hope's production, expressing his dissatisfaction. The letter noted, "Can't say I'm enjoying the film -- new rubbish dialogue reaches me every other day on wages of pink paper -- and none of it makes my character clear or even bearable."
On top of the repeated criticism, there were rumors that Guinness didn't enjoy his time on set. During a radio show titled Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!, Princess Leia actor Carrie Fisher was asked, "Do you know anything juicy about Alec Guinness?" And she replied, "Alec Guinness once gave Mark Hamill 20 pounds to go away... he was asking all these questions about his career and it became annoying because Mark was something of a film buff. So he gave him money to go away." However, this story is likely more light-hearted than it sounds, as all the cast has said they loved working with Guinness.
Alec Guinness Ultimately Had Mixed Views on Star Wars
During an interview on Parkinson, Guinness once again criticized the dialogue but also complimented Star Wars on what it had achieved. He described it as having "A marvelous healthy innocence. Great pace, wonderful to look at, full of guts, nothing unpleasant." As a result, Guinness showed that he fully understood the appeal of the blockbuster property.
So overall, Sir Alec Guinness was clearly no fan of science fiction and hated Star Wars' dialogue most of all. He wanted to be known as a classical actor rather than Obi-Wan Kenobi, but the success of Star Wars forever painted him as the old Jedi Master. However, it's unfair to say he hated the movies, as he also praised them for being fun and charming and was well aware of the joy they brought to millions of children from all cultures.