The Force was almost with A$AP Rocky.
The Grammy-nominated rapper previously auditioned to play the role of Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story. In an interview with Variety, Rocky shared his brutally honest review of his tryout for Star Wars.
“I auditioned for Star Wars, and my audition was trash,” Rocky told Variety. “I was trash that day.”
The role ultimately went to Donald Glover, who also goes by his musical stage name, Childish Gambino. While Solo failed critically and financially, Glover received positive reviews for his performance, with Rocky being one of his biggest supporters.
“My man Childish Gambino was a way better Lando than I would’ve provided at that time,” Rocky explained. “And I think he looked a little more like [Billy Dee Williams] than me.”
Despite the failed audition, Rocky would happily take another shot at joining the Star Wars universe.
Released in 2018, Solo starred Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo, a smuggler who will one day become a hero for the Rebel Alliance in the battle against the Galactic Empire. Solo takes place approximately 10 years before Star Wars: A New Hope and chronicles the dangerous heist involving the Kessel Run. The movie introduces Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), Han’s eventual co-pilot, and Lando, the cunning smuggler who lends him the iconic Millennium Falcon.
Billy Dee Williams originated the role of Lando in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Williams later reappeared as Lando in The Rise of Skywalker.
In December 2020, Lucasfilm announced a Lando limited series at Disney+. Three years later, Stephen Glover, Donald’s brother and collaborator, revealed Lando had shifted from a TV show to a movie. The movie remains in development.
Rocky will next be seen in Highest 2 Lowest, Spike Lee’s crime thriller starring Denzel Washington. The movie will premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Highest 2 Lowest opens in theaters on August 22 and streams on Apple TV+ on September 5.
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