Mark Hamill is popular for playing Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars movie franchise, which brought him into the spotlight. Although after landing the role, he had a hard time with being so closely attached to the character, despite the series being a huge hit all over the world. For years, the actor noted that he couldn’t shake the enormous shadow cast by his part as the idealistic farm boy turned Jedi Knight, which he feared would harm his career and typecast him in Hollywood.
However, in a recent interview, the 73-year-old shared insights into how he was able to navigate his fears and deal with his concerns. Hamill credits his late co-star Carrie Fisher for helping him embrace the fame and move on with his career.
Mark Hamill says late actress Carrie Fisher helped him embrace his ‘Star Wars’ legacy
Mark Hamill reveals Carrie Fisher encouraged him to embrace being Luke Skywalker.
“In the Playbill, in my bio, I listed all my theatre credits, and at the end said, ‘He’s also known for a series of popular space movies.’ [Carrie Fisher] goes, ‘What’s the deal? … Get over… pic.twitter.com/g6r61hYy17
— Star Wars Holocron (@sw_holocron) June 4, 2025
During his appearance on the June 3 episode of NPR’s Fresh Air, Hamill reflected on his acting career, most especially how he was eager to distance himself from his Star Wars legacy. He explained that it was so serious that he failed to include the epic movie as part of his acting credits in his bio while taking part in a Broadway show.
The Big Red One actor revealed that when the late Carrie Fisher, who played his on-screen sister Princess Leia in Star Wars, noticed the omission, she quickly put him back on track, advising him to embrace the reality of his character.
Mark Hamill says he was not initially interested in reprising his role as Luke Skywalker
Hamill disclosed that after participating in the first film of the franchise, he initially hesitated to return for the Star Wars sequel, as he believed revisiting the past was a mistake. He also mentioned that he assumed Harrison Ford, who had previously complained about the franchise’s lingering shadow, would not be willing to reprise his role as Han Solo, either.
However, the actor explained to NPR that when he learned through media reports that Ford had signed on, he felt compelled to join the bandwagon, especially out of fear of disappointing fans of the franchise with a refusal, while Ford and Carrie Fisher returned to their iconic roles. Thus, he decided to reprise his iconic role as Luke Skywalker.