Solo: A Star Wars Story Almost Cast This Actor As Lando

Originally posted on Men's Journal | By Griff Griffin | Last updated 5/14/24

Solo: A Star Wars Story memorably introduces Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian, the smooth-talking smuggler, gambler, and entrepreneur. But Glover almost lost out to another actor.

That actor is O'Shea Jackson Jr., best known for playing Ice Cube in 2015’s Straight Outta Compton. Speaking to interviewer Chris Van Vliet on YouTube, Jackson Jr reveals he auditioned for Lando four times.

“Honestly, I was really close to being Lando. And then I ended up doing Cocaine Bear with Alden [Alden Ehrenreich, who plays Han Solo]…I was like, 'man, I got this in the bag'...when I got the call that Donald Glover got it, I deleted every Childish Gambino song I had."

Disney

Elsewhere in the interview Jackson Jr admits struggling against preconceived notions of his acting abilities. “I know there’s just certain roles that they won’t see a music performer in.” That role wouldn’t be Lando, however, because Glover’s also a well-known music star under his alias Childish Gambino.

There was a happy ending for Jackson Jr., however. He ended up with a role in Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi portraying activist Kawlan Roken. “Of course, when one door closes, another opens,” he says.