Many thanks to Disney for inviting me on an expense-paid trip to Los Angeles to attend the #HanSoloEvent and #ABCTVEvent in exchange for coverage on my blog. No other compensation was provided. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Solo: A Star Wars Story is finally out in theaters, and I can’t wait for you to see it!
Meet TOBIAS BECKETT
There is no question that Beckett is a survivor. Seasoned, taciturn, and all-business, Beckett quietly works out all the angles to come out ahead. He’s put together a team of specialized thieves to carry out risky but profitable heists, which he carefully plans and executes.
That’s the official character bio for Woody Harrelson’s new character. But how would he describe his character, Tobias Beckett?
Woody Harrelson is Beckett in SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY.
Woody said, “Well, I think in some ways, he’s complicated in the sense that he’s not always as chummy as he could be, but I’d say he’s a survivor who really also does have this image of life, wanting to be done with this life of Criminality, and ultimately, just be playing the valachord, living on a remote planet somewhere.”
In what ways is Woody Harrelson like his character, Beckett? Apparently, not much.
Woody Harrelson is Beckett and Alden Ehrenreich is Han Solo in SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY.
Woody explained, “I don’t think I’m that (much) like Beckett. He’s a bit of a hardass, and he’s kind of tough on Han. I think it’s probably good if you’re gonna want to try to make someone into a very street smart Survivor in that Universe, maybe that’s how he had to be. But I wouldn’t be like that. I’m like the most….I can’t even discipline my own child. I don’t know how to do it because I always say to myself, ‘Well, I would do that. So how can I be telling her…?'”
I loved that he was such a tough love mentor to Han in the movie. We asked, “In real life, who has been that kind of tough love mentor to you?” Woody responded, “I feel like to some degree, Jack Nicholson. He lives not far from where I have a place here in LA, even though I live in Maui but the kids didn’t want to ever give it up. I still have it and it’s not far from Jack’s and I would go over quite a bit to his place and sit and reason, and talk story, and he did….he’s given a lot of cool advice.”
Woody Harrelson – Photo courtesy of Louise Manning Bishop / MomStart.com
Do you remember the first time YOU saw Star Wars? Woody Harrelson remembers the first time he saw the original Star Wars movie in the theater. He said, “Yeah, I remember it ’cause, you probably won’t believe this, but I was alive in 1977 and you know, it was a huge thing at the time like everybody was all about Star Wars. It became a sensation. And so I just remember going to see it and it was so original, so different from anything else and all of it (was) great.”
I’m sure the opportunity to enter the Star Wars universe was an incredible experience!
When asked which character from the original Star Wars Trilogy he would have loved to be, Woody replied, “Who wouldn’t want to be Solo, man? Such a good–but I mean also, it was written really well, obviously. Lucas created these great characters but I guess what Harrison brought to it and now what Alden is bringing to it is making that character just so special, so fun, and funny.”
Thandie Newton is Val, Woody Harrelson is Beckett and Alden Ehrenreich is Han Solo in SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY.
I could tell that Woody had a ton of respect for Alden Ehrenreich, who played Han Solo in the movie. Despite Woody’s experience in Hollywood, I love that he was able to find things to learn from the younger actor.
Woody said, “Love Alden, love him, awesome, awesome guy. Really hard worker. I mean, very hard worker, ’cause there would be these humungous sets and then there would be these little spots, it’s like a little cloth room. You might have something to lay down on or chair, makeup thing, whatever. So we’d all have our little cubicles and he was next to me and he’d be in there like taking piano lessons. He’d be in there reading novels. I’m over there playing Speed Chess online. Screaming. The whole set’s like ‘What the he(ck)? He just lost his queen.’ I really admire his work ethic and I think just the way he cultivates himself as a human, he’s an extraordinary guy. He’s not just like a silly dopey party animal like some actors coming up or like I was coming up.”
Woody Harrelson – Photo courtesy of Louise Manning Bishop / MomStart.com
Woody Harrelson has certainly created a legacy of amazing and diverse roles during his time in Hollywood. But we were curious what HE wanted his personal legacy to be.
His response, “Well, I hope just generally, it’s a smiling type of legacy instead of a frowning type. I mean, I do prefer comedy (even though) I’ve gotten into a little bit of a Drama bubble. I would like to make people laugh, and hopefully, they’ll think of me and laugh.”
Woody Harrelson – Photo courtesy of Louise Manning Bishop / MomStart.com
Speaking of leaving a legacy of happiness, one of our group members complimented Woody by saying, “You always seem so happy” and asked, “What is your life-hack for happiness?”
Woody, with his perpetual smile, said, “Well, thank you for saying that. I do feel like a pretty genuinely happy person. And I think a big part of it is just gratitude. I’m very grateful for the life I have. I feel like all of us who do movies and probably all of you who write about movies, we’re breathing a bit of a rarified air. And I feel really lucky because there was a point in which I kind of gave up and it was early on. I hadn’t even got a job yet and I just was like, I think I can’t do it. And I don’t know how to crack it. And so yeah gratitude. Life-hack.”
Group photo with Woody Harrelson – Photo courtesy of Louise Manning Bishop / MomStart.com
Be sure to catch Woody Harrelson as Beckett in SOLO: A Star Wars Story, in theaters everywhere!
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