We could've had Dev Patel in the new Star Wars movies
In an interview with Total Film, the actor looks back at his Star Wars audition
Dev Patel is one of the lucky Skins alums—like Daniel Kaluuya—who’s had a massive film career after getting his start on TV. Patel stars in The Green Knight, one of the most anticipated flicks of the year, where he plays King Arthur’s nephew Sir Gawain, who goes on a quest to find the eponymous knight. However, despite being an Oscar-nominated actor, he couldn’t land one of the most coveted roles in Hollywood.
In an interview with Total Film, Patel talks about auditioning for one of the recent Star Wars movies, and not getting the part. “I remember, I think I was doing Marigold 2, and I sent them an iPhone video from my trailer in India. The next minute, I got a call-back, and I was there, and that was fascinating.”
He didn’t reveal which character or Star Wars film he auditioned for, but given The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel filming timeline, we can infer that it was The Force Awakens. Though he likely auditioned to play Finn or Poe, part of us hopes he auditioned to play Kylo Ren—though nobody plays the emo villain as well as Adam Driver. And personally, this writer thinks that Patel would’ve been perfectly cast in the good Star Wars prequel Rogue One, but alas, we’ll have to see if he ever gets his chance to be in a galaxy far, far away.
Total Film also asked him if he’d be open to starring in a superhero blockbuster, and Patel doesn’t sound too enthusiastic about the possibility. “I mean, look, I’m not opposed to it. Those movies are a real spectacle when done right,” he says. “I guess if I fit in these worlds… I don’t know. The alchemy hasn’t been right for me, personally yet. These journeys with people like David [Lowery, director of The Green Knight], and stuff like that, have really been the most nourishing.”