Even though Mark Hamill already had a number of shows and films on his resume before Star Wars, it was 1977’s A New Hope that permanently put the actor on the Hollywood map. But he still remembers his first-ever audition for Luke Skywalker, confessing that he was super confused about how to play the character as he wasn’t given too many details about the Jedi. So, he turned to his future Star Wars co-star, hoping for some direction, only to get some very unhelpful advice.
The star in question is Harrison Ford, who auditioned for the role of Han Solo and accompanied Hamill, who was there for Luke. In a chat with CBS News, the actor reminisced about the moment back in 1976 when he was scratching his head over the dialogues penned by George Lucas for his character in the film and wondered whether he should say them seriously or be funny as “nobody talks like this!”
“The problem was they didn’t give us a whole script. And yeah, I couldn’t figure out, is this, like, a send-up of Flash Gordon or whatever?” he shared, hilariously adding that he then turned to Ford, hoping to clear his doubts as the Indiana Jones star had previously worked with Lucas on the director’s 1973 released comedy-drama film American Graffiti.
“I said, ‘You know George. Is this, like, a joke? Should we send it up? Make fun of it?’ ‘Whatever. Get it done.’ So, he was no help!”
Seeing how Ford and Hamill’s initial introduction behind the camera went, their respective characters’ journey from aloof adversaries to friendly rivals to brothers-in-arms as the films progressed just became even more iconic.
