http://comicbook.com/starwars/2016/05/04/even-greedo-thinks-han-shot-first-in-star-wars/
EDIT: Here is the original article:
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/greedo-actor-star-wars-restore-han-solo-shooting-article-1.2623730
Mod Edit: As the NYDailyNews article linked above (from May 4th 2016) is not available to many outside the US, it has been copied and pasted below…
'EXCLUSIVE: Greedo actor wants ‘Star Wars’ to restore Han Solo shooting first scene: ‘It does give him a little more glory’'
'Han Solo shot first — as Greedo himself knows, since he was an eyewitness.
Actor Paul Blake, who played the doomed Rodian bounty hunter in the original “Star Wars” confirms what fans of a certain age know in their hearts — in spite of creator George Lucas’s subsequent fiddling with the scene to make Han look more heroic.
"Of course, in it said it all in the original script, we played in the scene in English and at the end of the scene, it reads, ‘Han shoots the alien.’ " Blake told the Daily News. “It’s all it says and that’s what happened. It was very painful.”
Besides, having Greedo fire first and miss from across a table, as has been the case after the original release, is sort of embarrassing.
“He was a bit inept wasn’t he?” quips Blake. "He’s a worse shot than a Stormtrooper. I don’t think Jabba had him under a pension plan let’s put it that way.
“It would be lovely to see them go back to the original version, I much preferred it, I must say. And it does give it Greedo a little more glory if he’s just blown away.”
Blake is one of the character actors who stumbled on a role of a lifetime and is profiled in the new documentary, “Elstree 1976,” in theaters and on demand this Friday. The Jon Spira-directed film takes its name from the London-based studio and the year in which the iconic film was shot.
At the time, though, no one involved knew they were signing on for nerdy immortality — least of all Blake, who was prodded to try out by his acting buddy Anthony Daniels, already on board as C3PO.
“I show up the next day at Elstree Studios, early in the morning and I hadn’t had breakfast,” recalls Blake, now 67. "There was no one around except this one guy in the far corner, so I went up to him and asked ‘Oh hi, you couldn’t get me cup of coffee, could you?’
"So he very kindly went off and got me a cup of coffee. I said, ‘Do you know anything about this movie? I’m looking for a guy called George something or other.’
“And he said, ‘I’m George Lucas.’” adds Blake. "And that’s how I got the job. God knows how, because I made him fetch me a cup of coffee. "
He probably doomed poor Greedo right then and there, too.
“Actually, I’m ecstatic that such a tiny character got so much contrivance 40 years later,” says Blake.
And now with Disney’s purchase of the “Star Wars” franchise there’s always the chance of a Greedo standalone movie where the Rodian warrior will finally get his chance to … eh, who are we kidding?
“Have you seen his eyes? He’s myopic and short sighted at the same time,” jokes Blake. “I mean the poor guy never stood a chance. It was the wrong career choice when the guy decided to be an assassin. I think flower arranger would have been better. Or maybe short order cook.”
So maybe a standalone film that’s more art-house drama than rousing adventure?
“I can see him standing behind Jabba with a huge vase and maybe a few geranniums,” says Blake. “Hey, if Disney is listening to this, it’s a whole different kind of film.”’
