Wedge-less!

You remember Wedge, he was one of
the X-Wing pilots who didn't explode.

Denis Lawson turned down a role in the new Star Wars movie. Turned it down. Like, said no. Can you believe it? Oh, you don't know who he is? Ok, here, he played Wedge Antilles in the original trilogy. He doesn't have a lot of screen time, but he's in all three movies and has a huge fan base. There's comic books and novels about him and holy shit check out his Wookieepedia page. It's actually longer than the Wikipedia page for Jonas Salk, and he cured goddamn polio.

Above: It's like a Jedi Mind-Trick,
except with trace amounts of cocaine.

Anyway, J. J. Abrams asked the actor to don the orange space suit once more and reprise Wedge Antilles for the new movie. Mark Hamill, Carey Fisher, even Harrison Ford agreed to return, but Lawson said no. I mean, what is that? Harrison Ford was so sick of playing Han Solo that he wanted George Lucas to kill him off at the end of Jedi. He'd rather (Han) die than do another Star Wars, yet Abrams managed to talk him into it...presumably by offering him mountains of cash, but still, he's in the damn movie. 

"I've got quite enough money and
fame, thank you very much."

When someone asked Lawson why he refused he replied in what must certainly be a delightful Scottish accent:

"I'm not going to do that...They asked me but it just would have bored me."

-Denis Lawson, 

turning down fucking Star Wars

The woman who played Aunt Beru
took a shot at Gerald Ford to get the role.

Crazy right? I mean, how can this guy turn down an opportunity to be in a Star Wars movie again? Most of us would gladly carry out political assassinations just to get a walk-on role (what, is it just me?). But not Lawson, it's like he has that, oh, what's it called? Perspective! He has perspective. To him it was just a couple of movies he did thirty years ago, and he's moved on. Sure, it means we won't get to see Wedge on screen again, but on the other hand, we won't see Wedge on screen again.

Yeah, while we're all watching a 71 year old Han Solo explain to a bunch of whipper snappers about flying through hyperspace, and complain that blue milk used to only cost a tenth credit, Wedge Antilles will still be that one X-Wing pilot who managed to survive long enough to play Storm Trooper bongos with the Ewoks. Well played Antilles, well played.

I think this scene from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
is a prefect example of why Denis Lawson just made the best move of his career.