Before Ewan McGregor took on the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequels, the late Alec Guinness brought him to life on the big screens as one of the most iconic mentor roles in the history of cinema through the original Star Wars trilogy. Now, on the legendary British actor’s birthday, Mark Hamill has decided to show gratitude to his old co-star.
The star behind Luke Skywalker took to Twitter today to pay tribute to Guinness, whose career spanned more than six decades from 1934 to 1996.
“Born April 2nd, 1914, Alec Guinness is one of the finest and most versatile actors of all time. He also happened to be kind, warm, witty, as well as generous, and unassuming. He was everything I wanted him to be… and much, much more,” Hamill wrote, adding the hashtag #ForeverGratefulForOurFriendship at the end for good measure.
Guinness came back to Star Wars one last time through re-used audio footage in The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker, where he encouraged the sequels’ protagonist Rey to rise to the occasion of being a Jedi against the resurgence of the Sith threat.
Beyond the galaxy far, far away, Guinness’ show business portfolio includes works such as The Lavender Hill Mob, for which he received an Oscars nomination, and The Bridge on the River Kwai, David Lean’s war film that earned him both an Academy Award and a BAFTA.
Ben Kenobi is returning through McGregor in the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi show on Disney Plus, so it’s safe to say that the legacy of Guinness’ character still lives on more than 40 years after his debut.
Published: Apr 2, 2022 01:27 pm