Luke Skywalker has changed a lot over the course of the Star Wars saga, and so has Mark Hamill. In this new video, the franchise legend goes back to when it all began and rewatches his original audition for his most famous role from way back in the 1970s.
Hamill has partnered with Omaze to raise money for NAI, with donations earning folks the chance to have dinner with the man himself and win two tickets to the premiere of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. In this video to accompany the contest, the actor revisits a grainy black-and-white recording of his original audition, intejecting with some insightful – and hilariously self-deprecating – comments.
Among Hamill’s revelations in this video is that he first met Harrison Ford the day the audition was recorded. The star was so in awe of Ford that he assumed Han Solo was going to be the lead character, with Luke as the sidekick. As Hamill puts it, “I thought he was Captain America and I was Bucky.” So it was a huge surprise when he got the script and found out he was up for the protagonist.
Fast forward 40 years or so and Hamill is a Star Wars veteran. Though Luke died a noble death in The Last Jedi, he’ll be back for Rise of Skywalker. We don’t know exactly in what capacity, but it seems likely that he’ll return and visit Rey as a Force ghost.
With Episode IX serving as the conclusion of the Skywalker Saga, it’s probable that this will be the final time he plays Luke in the Star Wars movies. And we can only hope that J.J. Abrams brings his story to a fitting conclusion when the pic touches down in theaters on December 20th.
