In a galaxy far, far away, there was almost a different chapter in theStar Warssaga forCameron Monaghan. Best known to fans of the franchise as Cal Kestis, the protagonist ofStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Monaghan’s journey into theStar Warsuniverse could have taken a very different path. During a panel at Fan Expo Canada in Toronto moderated byKristin Finger, Monaghan opened up about his long-standing connection to theStar Warsseries and his early attempts to join the franchise.
Monaghan’s love forStar Warsdates back to his childhood, a passion ignited by the original trilogy. “I always loved the movies growing up as a kid. I had the VHS box that was Darth Vader’s head of the original trilogy, and I used to watch those all the time. I would stare at that box with a lot of deference and admiration,” he shared. Like many fans of his generation, Monaghan was captivated by the epic space opera, even embodying the dark side during playground adventures. He told audiences:
“When we were playing on the playground, I used to pretend to be Darth Vader. I kind of had a Darth Vader thing for sure.”
Cameron Monaghan Wanted to Play Han Solo
Monaghan’s deep-rooted affection forStar Warscarried through into his career as an actor. “Star Warswas always very much a part of my childhood, and I desperately wanted to be in theStar Warsproject,” he said. However, before he was cast as Cal Kestis, Monaghan had auditioned for two of the most high-profileStar Warsprojects of the modern era. “Everybody and their grandmother had auditioned forThe Force Awakenswhen that was casting,” he explained. “They did this worldwide search, looked a lot in the US and UK specifically, and I auditioned for that, made this little home movie tape for it, that nothing ever happened [with].”
Despite not landing a role inThe Force Awakens,Monaghan didn’t give up on his dream of joining theStar Warsuniverse. His second attempt came whenPhil LordandChris Millerwere casting forthe standaloneSolofilm. Monaghan recalls:
“Then when Phil Lord and Chris Miller were auditioning for the Han Solo project,I ended up going back in a few times for that.I was like, ‘Oh cool. Maybe this will be my opportunity. I don’t really look like Harrison Ford, but maybe.’ And that didn’t end up working out so I was like ‘well, I guess maybe that’s it. I missed my opportunity to be part of it.’”
While those early auditions didn’t pan out,Monaghan’s persistence paid off when he landed the role of Cal Kestis inJedi: Fallen Order.Reflecting on the moment, he said, “Then when I got the audition for the game, that was a big opportunity and an honor.”
Stay tuned to Collider for more from FanExpo Toronto.Solois available to stream on Disney+.
Solo: A Star Wars Story
In Solo: A Star Wars Story, young Han Solo embarks on a series of daring adventures within a perilous criminal underworld. He forges significant alliances, including with his future copilot Chewbacca and the enigmatic gambler Lando Calrissian, while navigating a landscape fraught with danger and betrayal.
Watch on Disney+
