Mark Hamill may have found stardom in playing Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars trilogy, but the actor admits he once tried to hide the fact that fact. That was until co-star Carrie Fisher put some sense into him.
In an interview with NPR’s Fresh Air, Hamill recalled the time Fisher came to see him perform in a play on Broadway. But upon arrival, Fisher was shocked to find that he was actively trying to hide his previous involvement in the Star Wars series.
"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.’ And she goes, 'What's the deal? How come you don't mention 'Star Wars?'" said Hamill. "And I said, 'Well, I want to show that I have a resume that includes extensive theater credits.' And she said, 'Hey, get over yourself. You're Luke Skywalker. I'm Princess Leia. Embrace it.'"
Although Hamill didn't state which play he was performing in at the time, the star appeared in many Broadway productions during the same time and soon after the first three Star Wars movies hit screens. The actor starred in The Elephant Man in 1979 and Amadeus in 1980, followed by Harrigan 'n Hart in 1985 and The Nerd in 1987.
The reason that Hamill didn't want to include his Star Wars credit in the first place is that he felt the trilogy was such a success that casting directors struggled to see him as other character other than Skywalker. So, the star was desperate not to be typecast.
However, starring in plays didn't stop Hamill from continuing to play Luke Skywalker on and off for over two more decades, as the star also reprised the role in the latest trilogy, finishing up with Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker in 2019. But Hamill is now happy to pass the torch onto another lightsaber-wielding hero as the star recently made it known that he is done with making Star Wars films.
For more, check out how to watch the Star Wars movies in order, and keep up with the galaxy far, far away with our guide on upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows.
