STAR WARS AFICIONADO WEBSITE: AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: INTRODUCING LANDO CALRISSIAN

Tuesday, 2 June 2020

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: INTRODUCING LANDO CALRISSIAN

Hello, what have we here? It's Lando Calrissian, as played by Billy Dee Williams! Image: via Star Wars Archives Facebook page.

Back in Summer 1977, George Lucas confirmed during The Making of Star Wars TV documentary that upcoming SW sequels would feature lots of new situations and new worlds for our classic heroes to explore, but also, most importantly, there would be new characters working for both good and evil interacting with them. In The Empire Strikes Back, three would become noteworthy and have very important roles in the film's plot. First off would be Lando Kadar (surname later changed to 'Calrissian'), a charming rogue and friend/rival to Han Solo. Currently the Baron administrator of the Cloud City mining colony on Bespin, and possibly even a clone (as in the original storyline), it is to that suave businessman that Solo seeks escape and temporary shelter from the pursuant Empire.

Envisaged for Lando Calrissian by George Lucas, respected actor Yaphet Kotto, who has just finished playing one of the lead parts in FOX’s Alien, is offered the role. Kotto, however, turns it down for a number of reasons- allegedly because he believed Lando would be killed off by the end, wanted to avoid potential typecasting problems, and, primarily, the actor was reluctant to do another genre film so quickly after the heavy-duty filming of Alien.

In action for this posed publicity image. The shot was adapted into a revised version of Roger Kastels' iconic poster art for The Empire Strikes Back, incorporating Lando and Boba Fett.

With Lando beginning to evolve a few months later into a different, smoother type of character to the one previously created (soon conceived as an alternate version of what Han would be like if he had not hooked up with the Rebellion), Lucas and Kershner look towards a different type of actor for the role. Billy Dee Williams, born and raised in New York City, where he studied at the Actors Workshop under the tutelage of Paul Mann (before receiving a scholarship to the National Academy of Fine Arts and Design, where he won many awards, including the Hallgarten for painting - an interest which he continues with to this day, alongside his acting)), is right at the top of Irvin Kershner’s thoughts to play the new Lando (the actor having also been considered at one point to play Han Solo back in George Lucas’s 1975’s screen tests -Lucas having been impressed with his performance alongside Diana Ross in Lady Sings the Blues). Seeing so many of Calrissian’s charming, adventurous traits in the actor, Kershner visits Williams at his US home, the Director, after several hours discussing numerous topics (including European-Western philosophy), tells Billy Dee about the role and offers it to him without the need for a screen test.

Nearing the start of his Bespin scenes work, Billie Dee Williams watches some filming between Han and Leia.

As filming for the main cast group nears its Summer 1979 end, Irvin Kershner confers with Williams on the Bespin arrival scene.

Instantly falling in love with the name Lando Calrissian (of which the surname is believed to be of Armenian origin) and liking his character description, Williams accepts the role (recalling to STARLOG magazine: “He’s a very charming, cavalier, roguish character- he’s very much like Han. I think the difference between them is that Han in a pinch will use his guns and Lando will charm his way out of a situation.”) and will film his first scenes for the film on the Bespin sets at Elstree during April 1979.

Two early publicity/character reference shots of Billy Dee Williams as Lando.

Costume fitting test for Billie Dee Williams as Lando, and British extras playing Bespin Guards.

A stern Lando goes out to meet the Bespin-landed Millennium Falcon, accompanied by Lobot and other guards.

Gamblers and Scoundrels reunite on Bespin! Behind the scenes, Harrison Ford was unhappy that the Millennium Falcon had had a prior owner before Han Solo.