Star Wars: Mark Hamill Had to “Learn to Live” With Being Luke Skywalker

The opportunity to play a character as beloved as Luke Skywalker might be the crowning achievement in some actors’ careers, yet Mark Hamill didn’t always lean into the acclaim he had earned from being the hero in the Star Wars trilogy. The actor recently shared that, when attempting to prove his worth as a performer outside the science fiction realm, it was Leia Organa herself, Carrie Fisher, that had to teach him to lean into his famous character.

“I remember Carrie came to see a Broadway show I did and she goes, ‘What’s with your bio?’ and I said, ‘What’s wrong with it?’ and she said, ‘You don’t even mention the movie by name,’” Hamill recalled to Sway’s Universe. “I said, ‘They’re in there!’ She said, ‘Yeah, “Mark Hamill, known for a series space-themed movies, made his Broadway debut…” and blah, blah, blah. Get over yourself. I’m Princess Leia, you’re Luke Skywalker. Learn to live with it.’ As usual, she was miles ahead of me.”

The differences in acknowledgment of their earlier roles came into play when they were approached by Lucasfilm about the sequel trilogy, with Fisher happily accepting despite Hamill showing reluctance.

“When they said, ‘Do you wanna come back to the movies?’ I kept a straight face, and Carrie yelled, ‘I’m in!’ immediately. Later I said, ‘Carrie, poker face, at least play hard to get,’” the actor joked. “Like that girl in high school that won’t date you, makes you want her more.’ Again, she cuts right to the chase, ‘Mark, what kind of roles are there for women over 50 in Hollywood?’ and, boy, is she right there. As brutal as it can be for guys, it’s a million times more intense for women.”

After some reflection, the actor realized how lucky he was to have earned notoriety for any role, let alone such a heroic one.

“She played my fictional sister, but she was always five spaces ahead of me. Because I sort of resented that, when she said that, I said, ‘Well I got a Drama Desk nomination.’ Again, she said, ‘Who cares?’” Hamill confessed. “So, again, it took me months later that I saw her having so much fun being Princess Leia, I thought, ‘Ya know what? What real estate do I occupy that nobody else does?’ I didn’t expect to be remembered for anything, so to be remembered for Luke, that’s cool. What if I were the best guy ever to play Adolph Hitler? That could be much worse. ‘Oh, you were the best fuhrer I’ve ever seen.’”

You can see Hamill as Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi, out now on Digital HD and on Blu-ray.

Which of Hamill’s characters will you always remember him for? Let us know in the comments below!

[H/T YouTube, Sway’s Universe]