Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher shared an adorable friendship in real life and were always there to encourage each other throughout their careers. After Fisher passed away in 2016, Hamill shed light on their decades-long bond, including the advice his on-screen sister gave him.
Via Entertainment Weekly, Hamill opened up about the time Fisher called him out for failing to acknowledge that he's Luke Skywalker. In an interview with NPR, Hamill revealed that Fisher told him to embrace his Star Wars credentials. He says, "She came to see a Broadway show of mine. And in the playbill, in my bio, I listed all my theater credits and at the end it said, 'He's also known for a series of popular space movies."
Fisher didn't take this omission lightly, and asked, "What's the deal? How come you don't mention Star Wars?" Hamill explained that he wanted to highlight his experience as a theater actor, but Fisher wasn't satisfied with this explanation. She told Hamill to "Get over yourself. You're Luke Skywalker. I'm Princess Leia. Embrace it.'
This advice resonated with Hamill, who says he "saw what she meant, you know, because you say to yourself, 'What territory do I occupy that no one else does?' So she was someone that sort of put it in perspective for me." Although Mark Hamill has learned to be proud of his Star Wars stardom, he does struggle with it from time to time. He says it's always strange to meet fans who just watched the original trilogy because he's moved on from Star Wars. For him, it was a job, and he's had many of them.
Hamill feels, "I had my time, and I appreciate it, and I'm always grateful for George for letting me be a part of it, but it's over." He believes it's time to focus on the present and future of Star Wars, including all the new characters. That doesn't mean he doesn't value the love and attention he gets from fans. He says, "I mean, if it weren't for the fans, I wouldn't be here. And so I'm grateful to them."
Hamill calls Star Wars "an important part of my life that's now over." His performance in the Steven King adaptation of The Life of Chuck, which premieres June 13, has received rave reviews. Even though it doesn't sound like Hamill wants to return to Star Wars, Luke Skywalker's life can continue to be explored in future Star Wars novels and through animation. Hamill has always seemed comfortable with Star Wars recasting him with a younger actor to play a pre- or post-Return of the Jedi era Luke Skywalker, so it might be best to recast the role with Hamill's blessings.
Despite being done with Luke Skywalker, Hamill returned for The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. He was de-aged for his appearances on both shows using CGI.
Star Wars is streaming on Disney+.