There are few franchises that are beloved as Star Wars. The space opera had enthralled moviegoers for decades, so the fandom includes spans generations of loyal fans. As such, the property is now able to rake in an insane amount of money ever year, since Disney is alternating the main episodes with standalone films that expand the galaxy far, far away. The actors who portray the main characters in the franchise are all household names, with the wild success of the films having the potential to launch absolutely fantastic careers. But it turns out that playing a Star Wars character isn't all peaches and cream. Franchise star Mark Hamill recently addressed the downside of playing Luke Skywalker his whole life, saying:
The movie had such an impact, you thought: Oh my gosh, I already know what the first line in my obituary is going to be. Which is odd and eerie.
Well, that's certainly honest. While playing Luke Skywalker in 2/3 of the Star Wars trilogies is sure to cement Mark Hamill's place in pop culture royalty, there's a somewhat strange aspect of his success. Because no matter how many other role she takes over his career, the words "Star Wars" or "Luke Skywalker" will likely be paired with his obituary.
Mark Hamill's honest answer to ABC News may be a bit morbid, but it's certainly true. Successful actors are often closely associated with their biggest role, and movies just don't get bigger than Star Wars. Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher will forever be known as their Star Wars characters, and the new cast of actors has the potential to meet the same fate.
Perhaps it was for this reason that Mark Hamill was originally a bit wary about returning to the role of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. But he ultimately decided that reprising the part would help to complete Luke's journey. Luke had only just fully gained control over both his Jedi powers and his relationship to his father when Return of the Jedi ended, so it's going to be great to see how Luke changed over the decades when The Last Jedi arrives in theaters.
While Mark Hamill will forever be Luke Skywalker, he's had a pretty great career in other projects. The role that many relate Hamill to besides Luke is Batman's arch nemesis The Joker. While Hamill has never played the role in live action, he's the quintessential voice of The Joker in animation and video games. He's voiced the role for many years, and most hardcore Batman fans believe he is the best Joker out there. Hamill has also had plenty of other TV and film credits including Kingsman, The Flash, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, in addition to this myriad voice acting performances.
Mark Hamill will reprise his role as Luke Skywalker when Star Wars: The Last Jedi arrives in theaters on December 15th. In the meantime, check out our 2017 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
