Mark Hamill on how Carrie Fisher's death impacted his experience with Star Wars

There has always been something adorable and wholesome about the Star Wars actors behind siblings Luke and Leia. One could cite the teasing relationship seen in behind-the-scenes photos and footage, but Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher continued to refer to each other as family would. In one of the early responses to Fisher's death on Twitter, reported by Time magazine, Hamill said, "I am grateful for the laughter, the wisdom, the kindness, and even the bratty self-indulgent crap my beloved space-twin gave me through the years."

Much more recently, he participated in a panel at Chicago's Fan Expo on August 18 and gave some insights into how the loss he suffered in December 2016 changed the way he sees Star Wars.

"It forever altered how I reacted to Star Wars in general... The heart was gone. I don't talk about it because I don't like reliving it."

- Mark Hamill

During the panel "Mark Hamill Live," he became emotional when describing the moment in which his wife Marilyn delivered the news. The New York Post cited his quote on the matter, "My wife came into the bedroom... She had tears rolling down her face, saying that Carrie had..." It was at this point that he trailed off.

He has paid many tributes to his friend over the years but related to the Chicago crowd that "I thought that it was effortless feminism to have the princess be far from a shrinking violet." This tracks with his comment to Variety on another occasion that said, "I was completely unprepared for the person I met, who was just overwhelming, in the sense that she seemed so much wiser than her years... Very funny, very spontaneous, very witty."

On the other hand, "She was tough," Hamill told Chicago fans. "I mean, wow! Pretty mouthy, huh?" Fans of the franchise can definitely remember the loss felt eight years ago and are grateful to have the reminder of Fisher's audacity through the eyes of her "brother."