When Star Wars premiered in May 1977, even its cast and crew had little idea
of the cultural juggernaut it would become. Alec Guinness, already an accomplished actor with an Academy Award to his name, viewed his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi with some skepticism.
In fact, he reportedly found some of the dialogue clunky and even doubted whether the film would resonate with audiences. Yet, shrewdly, Guinness negotiated a deal that included a small percentage of the film’s profits—something highly unusual at the time for an actor in his position.
Just nine days after the movie’s release, Guinness confided in his diary that he was hopeful the percentage might yield him around £100,000 if the film managed to perform like Spielberg’s Jaws.
What unfolded was beyond his imagination: Star Wars exploded into a worldwide phenomenon, earning hundreds of millions and spawning a multi-decade franchise. Guinness’s share ultimately netted him an estimated $95 million over the years for less than half an hour of actual screen time.
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Beginning in the early 1970s, the local paper published twenty-five chapters of Star Wars. One chapter per week. At least 25, could have been more.
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