Legendary casting director Fred Roos championed both Harrison Ford and Alden Ehrenreich.
Heres a coincidence that feels cosmic.
Or maybe galactic is the better word.
Credit: Lucasfilm; Kevin Winter/Getty Images; Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
Its true that Spielberg thought he had talent and helped connect the high-schooler with some talent agents.
He happened to discoverbothHan Solos.
He also producedThe OutsidersandThe Conversation, and had an uncredited role as casting consultant on the originalStar Wars.
Probably his biggest find: Harrison Ford.
Roos had been championing Ford for roles in various films for a while.
At that point, Ford had been a bit-part studio player with a lot of forgettable TV guest roles.
The Hollywood career was going nowhere, but Fords woodworking business was paying the bills.
I knew him really well, Roos tells EW.
Not only was he an actor, he was a friend.
And he was doing carpentry work for me, when he needed to make extra money.
He had a family, he had kids…
Roos didnt have much luck selling Ford at first.
In between those latter two films, came another.
You may have heard of it Star Wars.
I had already brought him to Georges attention inAmerican Graffiti, Roos says of Ford.
George hadnt really gotten to know him.
Ford was the right guy for Solo.
I was, from the get-go, pushing him for Han Solo, Roos says.
George, you saw him right under your nose inAmerican Graffiti, and finally it clicked with George.
Other people were considered, but finally I won the day with George on that one.
Once he believes in you, he is unrelenting.
He kept putting me up for parts and I kept getting rejected.
Finally things worked out.
A good feeling about this
Flash forward about three decades from 1977.
By 2006, the agent Ehrenreich secured with Spielbergs help had gotten him small roles on TV shows likeSupernaturalandCSI.
But that was about it.
Then one of his reps introduced him to Roos.
We had this very important role inTetroa small film, a very personal film of Franciss.
[Ehrenreich] had been brought to my attention by a manager I respect.
When she tells me about something, I pay attention.
I get those calls all the time, but Id fill my day if I meteverybody, Roos says.
When she pushed me about meeting him, I did.
I liked him very, very much, and he was right for the part.
He didnt even have the part for sure when we brought him to Buenos Aires.
So it was quite an adventure for a young man still in high school.
He didnt open up with all the questions untilafterhe had the part, Roos says.
He was very reserved.
Hes a great kid, very eager to learn, respectful of film history.
I had no connection with him getting that movie.
But on this particular one, no, Roos says.
But everything builds for an actor.
The fact that he didTetrofor Francis and I was really to his credit.
Its kind of a family in northern California.
Im sure that factored into it.
What was it that Roos saw in Ehrenreich 10 years ago?
Its always kind of intangible.
Just a feeling I have about somebody, Roos says.
A lot of people that Ive been associated with are like that.
They dont quite fit any mold.
Plus, he had been studying acting and doing plays at his school.
Theres a talent there, and he had worked at the craft.
He wasnt some accidental discovery.
He had some background and experience.
My God theres some serendipity here.
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