There are plenty of stories surrounding the production of the Star Wars original trilogy, from Darth Vader actor David Prowse accidentally revealing Luke's father to Harrison Ford hoping for Han Solo to be killed. But one of the most common tales to come from the production is around Obi-Wan Kenobi's actor, Sir Alec Guinness. It's frequently said by fans that Guinness despised Star Wars with a passion, but is that really true or just a common rumor?
Before Star Wars: A New Hope, Alec Guinness only appeared in more grounded movies, such as the 1950s films The Bridge on the River Kwai and The Card. Often playing the role of a higher-up soldier or businessman, Guinness won several awards for his performances and was seen as one of Britain's best stars. So when he received the script for Star Wars, he immediately shrugged it off as "Not for me." But upon reading it, he told the BBC, "Although the dialogue was appalling, there was something about it which made you go on turning the pages."
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But it was his distaste for the dialogue that started all the rumors, as Guinness had no problem criticizing it in every interview. While almost every member of the cast has mocked George Lucas' awkward writing at some point, Guinness had the richest background in classical cinema, so he found the dialogue particularly offensive. And it's completely understandable since, to this day, fans still make fun of Star Wars' dialogue even if it's part of the charm.
Another reason people assume Guinness hated the franchise is because of a letter he wrote during the production of Star Wars: A New Hope. The letter, written to his friend Anna Kaufman, read, "Can't say I'm enjoying the film -- new rubbish dialogue reaches me every other day on wages of pink paper -- and none of it makes my character clear or even bearable."
On top of the constant criticism, there were rumors that Guinness didn't enjoy his time on set. During a radio show titled Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!, Princess Leia actor Carrie Fisher was asked, "Do you know anything juicy about Alec Guinness?" And she replied, "Alec Guinness once gave Mark Hamill 20 pounds to go away... he was asking all these questions about his career and it became annoying, because Mark was something of a film buff. So he gave him money to go away." However, this story is likely more light-hearted than it sounds, as all the cast has said they loved working with Guinness.
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During an interview on Parkinson, Guinness once again criticized the dialogue but also complimented Star Wars on what it had achieved. He described it as having "A marvelous healthy innocence. Great pace, wonderful to look at, full of guts, nothing unpleasant." This showed that he fully understood the success and charm that drew in audiences all around the world.
So overall, Alec Guinness was clearly no fan of science fiction and hated Star Wars' dialogue most of all. He wanted to be known as a classical actor rather than Obi-Wan Kenobi, but the success of Star Wars forever painted him as the old Jedi Master. However, it's unfair to say he hated the movies, as he also praised them for being fun and charming and was well aware of the joy they brought to millions of children from all cultures.