Steven Spielberg Cast Alden Ehrenreich After Seeing a Bat Mitzvah Video He Made
Alden Ehrenreich broke through to the big time in 2018, landing the leading role in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Many critics and fans appreciated Ehrenreich’s heartfelt performance. And over the past several years, the talented young star has continuously opted for roles that challenge him creatively. Ehrenreich’s own story is one of pure luck. The up-and-coming actor was discovered by no less than famed director Steven Spielberg.
How was Alden Ehrenreich discovered?
Born in California in 1989, Ehrenreich knew from an early age that he wanted to get into acting. He studied acting at Crossroads School in Santa Monica as a teenager. And after he graduated high school, he went on to study at New York University at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, according to IMDb. Ehrenreich didn’t get his big break right away. In fact, it took years of study before he encountered the right people.
According to a Vanity Fair profile of Ehrenreich, he was ultimately discovered at a friend’s bat mitzvah reception by none other than Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg. Spielberg watched a comedy video that Ehrenreich had created in collaboration with a friend. And that video proved to the director that the young actor had what it took to succeed. Spielberg facilitated a meeting between Ehrenreich and a casting director at DreamWorks. And that meeting led to roles in TV shows like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
What did Steven Spielberg say about discovering Alden Ehrenreich?
Spielberg isn’t one to toot his own horn. But he has praised Ehrenreich’s work several times over the years, alluding to the first time that he was made aware of the young actor’s talents. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Spielberg recalled the video that helped seal the deal for him. “They (Spielberg’s daughter and her friend) showed me the video and I loved it and I got him an agent. That’s sort of how it all began.”
“I thought he had a lot of promise in comedy,” Spielberg noted. “I didn’t know he was going to rogue (into) drama. He was so funny in this video, I thought, ‘I have found the next really funny comedian.’ But most of his choices have been in drama and people don’t know how really funny he is.”
Alden Ehrenreich has a successful career in film and television
After some early roles in TV shows such as Brave New World and Supernatural, Ehrenreich ventured into movie territory. He landed parts in movies like Hail, Ceasar!, Blue Jasmine, and Beautiful Creatures. Ehrenreich made waves when he was cast as young Han Solo in Solo: A Star Wars Story. While the film received mixed reviews overall, a lot of critics had good things to say about Ehrenreich’s take on the beloved smuggler.
Ehrenreich has a lot on the books for 2023. Fans will finally be able to catch that comedic side that Spielberg referenced in the upcoming dark comedy Cocaine Bear, which is set for release in February. He can also be seen in Christopher Nolan’s highly-anticipated drama Oppenheimer, which will hit theaters in July. As for whether Ehrenreich will be back in action as Han Solo anytime soon, the jury is out. But it’s certain that the actor will a power player in Hollywood for years to come.
