Carrie Fisher's performance as Princess Leia Organa made her a Star Wars icon, however, 10 other actors who auditioned nearly played the character instead. Many of these actors would find success in other movie and TV franchises despite not playing Leia, and even so, it's fascinating to consider how Star Wars may have changed forever if someone else had embodied the character. It's hard to imagine Leia without Carrie Fisher, especially after she defined the character for 40 years before her passing. Still, just like the popularity of what-if scenarios in Star Wars fiction, alternatives to the franchise's real-life history are just as fun to explore.
As a central character of the Skywalker saga, having Leia played by another actor may very well have changed the franchise's direction. The chemistry between characters can shape where the writers will take the story, and with the wide variety of talent that auditioned for Leia, a different actor could've influenced George Lucas to make different creative decisions in the original trilogy. Since many of these actors went on to star in their own franchises, some of the biggest movies in history would've been altered as well. With that in mind, here are 10 actors who almost played Princess Leia in Star Wars.
10 Lalla Ward 
Lalla Ward is best known for playing Romana II on Doctor Who from 1979 to 1981, just a few years after she was considered to play Leia in Star Wars. She had a number of movie roles in the years before that, with her last film credit being Princess Elizabeth in 1977's The Prince and the Pauper. Ward switched to TV acting after her appearance in Doctor Who, making a few appearances over the years, which included returning to play Romana on a number of occasions. Given her prominence in the Doctor Who franchise, it's interesting to consider how it and Star Wars would've been different had she played Leia.
9 Jane Seymour 
Many actors who auditioned to play Leia would go on to have prosperous careers in the following decades, including Jane Seymour. Prior to being considered for Star Wars, Seymour became known in the early 1970s for roles such as Solitaire in Live and Let Die and Princess Farah in Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, released the same year as Star Wars. These roles perfectly demonstrate why she'd be considered for Princess Leia, though Seymour appeared in a different sci-fi franchise when she played Serina in Battlestar Galactica. Seymour's most recent acting credits include Molly in A Christmas Spark and the title role in Harry Wild.
8 Geena Davis 
Despite her first acting credit being April Page in 1982's Tootsie, Geena Davis was also considered to play Leia in Star Wars. Davis worked as a model before she transitioned to acting, which fits with Lucas' desire to cast relatively unknown actors for his movie. Leia wasn't the only famous role she was considered for, as she read for Sarah Conner in The Terminator, though she later had many notable roles of her own. Davis' most recent credits include Munca in Fairyland, Dr. Nicole Herman in Grey's Anatomy, and the voice of Huntara in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power where, funnily enough, her character claims that she's "no princess."
