Mark Hamill: His legacy as Luke Skywalker
The Legend Mark Hamill shows us his life outside of Star Wars and the impact it has had on him.
With the release of The Force Awakens, over 30 years after the last Star Wars movie, this has probably been the biggest build up any actor has ever had to deal with; just ask Mark Hamill.
Mark Hamill, when invited back onto the scene with his role as Luke Skywalker, he hesitated and admitted he was scared according to the New York Times interview with him out in his home in Oceanside, CA.
With Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford also joining him in The Force Awakens, their roles got more screen time, and the anticipation was built up for him and his character, which ends up being a fantastic idea.
Mark Hamill has always embraced his Star Wars legacy, but when he was invited back… “I was just really scared.”
At 66 years old he admits that he enjoys the attention he gets from being Luke Skywalker but feels he is at the point of his life where he should telling at kids to get off his lawn and combing the beach with his metal detector.
After he has finished filming in Return of The Jedi, he took around 30 years off and was able to get roles in many different styles of the film and theater industry. He had landed roles in Broadway shows, animated tv shows and even roles in other movies.
Whenever Mark Hamill was approached for the newest installment in the Star Wars timeline, The Force Awakens, he wasn’t even sure if he wanted to do it. It wasn’t till after Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher agreed that he caved and joined knowing how hated he would be if he were one of the big three that didn’t come back
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In regards to the amount of screen time the big three got in The Force Awakens, Ford is clearly getting the most and then Fisher then Hamill, Mark Hamill wasn’t happy with how Carrie Fisher won’t able to get the send-off she deserved.
He stated that it was going first to be Harrison Ford, then himself and then Carrie Fisher would get her featured role in Episode IX. With her death that will apparently not be able to be plausible.
"She deserved that second act. Harrison was more prominent in VII, I’m more prominent in this one, and she as meant to be more prominent in the last one. Her timing was perfect, except in this case."
It’s nice sometimes to realize that these actors that have become giants in the film industries are also just people like you and me. Seeing and hearing Mark talk about his life outside of Star Wars and the impact the show had on his life is very interesting and insightful.
Mark Hamill expresses his humanity, showing his normal fears and insecurities. If the galaxy’s greatest hero has flaws, that means it’s okay for me to have my shortcomings as well.
Next: A Skywalker holiday family reunion
Hearing how close he and Ford got with Fisher really makes this film even more emotional, knowing that this movie was the last time they would ever work with her. Star Wars: The Last Jedi will be our final farewell to our Princess, as well as showcasing Hamill’s extraordinary acting skills with a jaded version of Luke Skywalker this time around.