Sir Alec Guinness was a giant of the film industry in the mid-1970s, thanks to his highly respected roles in films like Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai (for which he received an Academy Award), and Kind Hearts and Coronets. His career, based on serious and frequently complicated roles, took a surprising turn when he was asked to appear in George Lucas’ epic space opera Star Wars.
Lucas offered Guinness $150,000 to play the mentor-like role of Obi-Wan Kenobi, which was modelled after the figure of Merlin. The veteran actor, however, sought for twice as much and was given 2.25% of the film’s backend earnings – a decision that would alter his financial legacy. Despite having just twenty minutes on television, Obi-Wan gained notoriety fast and cemented Guinness’s association with the well-liked franchise.
Although Star Wars became a huge success, Guinness was not convinced at first. He wrote in his journal how his experience on the set was “dull, rubbishy stuff,” and he turned down the script as “fairy-tale rubbish.” He even contemplated not returning for the sequel Empire Strikes Back because he was so resistant to joining the franchise. However, he agreed to film one day because he wanted to do justice to Lucas and to end the journey of his character.
For Guinness, the profit-sharing arrangement proved to be a financial boon. Over the next fifty years, the Star Wars series brought in billions of dollars, and by the time of his death in 2000, Guinness had amassed an incredible $95 million. Incredibly, he earned more from his tiny 20-minute appearance in two films than Ewan McGregor, who played a younger Obi-Wan in three prequel films and the Disney+ series Kenobi.
Despite his doubtful attitude about Star Wars, participation in the saga gave him an immense impact on the film and greatly added to its reputation as a cultural phenomenon.
