Jodie Foster turned down role of Princess Leia: 'I had a conflict'

Jan. 18 (UPI) -- Jodie Foster says she turned down the role of Princess Leia.

The 61-year-old actress confirmed on Wednesday's episode of The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon that she was offered the role of Leia in the 1977 film Star Wars.

Foster explained that she passed on the role due to scheduling conflicts.

"I was doing a Disney movie and I just didn't want to pull out of the Disney movie, because I had already -- I was already under contract," she said. "So I didn't do it."

Foster starred in Disney's 1977 film Candleshoe, while the role of Leia went to Carrie Fisher.

"They did an amazing job," Foster said. "I don't know how good I would have been."

"I might have had a different hair, you know," she jokingly added. "I might have gone with a pineapple."

Foster now stars in True Detective: Night Country, the fourth season of the HBO drama series, which premiered Sunday.

On The Tonight Show, Foster had nothing but praise for Night Country writer, director and showrunner Issa López.

"She just had such an incredible vision for the show that I just couldn't do anything but jump on board," Foster said.

"I did change the character a bit. The character, initially, was much younger and she was -- you know, was fresh from grief, and was kind of a mess and very emotional," she added. "And I thought, 'No.' So, she really is awful. Yeah, my Liz Danvers is awful. We call her 'Alaska Karen.'"

Foster recently said in an interview with UPI that her True Detective character is battling her inner demons.

True Detective: Night Country airs Sundays on HBO.