Stallone: 'I was rejected for Han Solo'

Sylvester Stallone has revealed that he was rejected for the role of Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy.

Answering a fan Q&A on Ain't It Cool News, The Expendables star said that he knew during the audition that he was not the right actor for the part, which eventually went to director George Lucas's American Graffiti star Harrison Ford.

Stallone said: "As a matter of fact I did [audition for Star Wars] and it didn’t meet with much approval since when I stood in front of George Lucas he didn't look at me once, obviously being very shy. Then I said, 'Well obviously I'm not the right type' but it all worked out for the best since I don’t look good in spandex holding a ray gun."

Other actors who tried out for the Han Solo role include Kurt Russell, Nick Nolte and Christopher Walken.

The Expendables, which sees Stallone lead a group of mercenaries on a deadly mission in South America, opens in the US on Friday and August 19 in the UK.