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Alden Ehrenreich says landing Han Solo role was 'surreal'

Harrison Ford originated the character in "Star Wars" and returned for three other films.

By Annie Martin
Alden Ehrenreich at the Los Angeles premiere of "Beautiful Creatures" on February 6, 2013. The actor will play Han Solo in a "Star Wars" spinoff. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
Alden Ehrenreich at the Los Angeles premiere of "Beautiful Creatures" on February 6, 2013. The actor will play Han Solo in a "Star Wars" spinoff. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

LONDON, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- Alden Ehrenreich was surprised but grateful to be cast as the new Han Solo.

The 26-year-old actor said in the November issue of Interview that he's happy and excited to play a young version of the character in Phil Lord and Christopher Miller's upcoming Star Wars spinoff.

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"I could not have predicted those things happening to me. But I'm just happy they come along," Ehrenreich said of his career's trajectory.

"[It's surreal], for sure. I think so many of the experiences that I've been lucky to have so far have been exactly that. It's been so surreal that at a certain point you stop expecting them to feel real at all," he added. "It's always a little fantastical."

Ehrenreich was confirmed as Han Solo in July after first being linked to the Star Wars spinoff in March. Kingsman star Taron Egerton and Transformers: Age of Extinction actor Jack Reynor were among the other rumored contenders.

"Whenever you hear somebody else is auditioning for something, you sort of assume they're going to get it," Ehrenreich told Interview. "I don't find it very helpful to know who else is going up for stuff, generally."

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"I'm just excited to be a part of the movies," he said. "It's always the particulars that are the most exciting. The idea of it is really exciting, but the most fun part of the job is the actual job you get to do: the character you get to play, the people that you work with, the day-to-day experience."

Ehrenreich is known for the movies Tetro, Beautiful Creatures and Hail, Caesar!. He will co-star in the Star Wars spinoff with Donald Glover, who told The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Wednesday that he's "very honored" to play Lando Calrissian.

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