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No matter what you’re doing in life, there’s at least a handful of occasions when you can just drop everything and celebrate. Birthdays are one of the most common, and as Star Wars legend/amateur historian Mark Hamill has often shared with the world. One such instance saw him and some of his co-workers toasting a legend. It may have been hot in the Tunisian desert back in 1976, but it wasn’t so bad that Sir Alec Guinness couldn’t take some time out for cake and champagne on his 62nd birthday.
When a fan noticed a Star Wars set photo with Hamill, Guinness, and said cake, they inquired with Mr. Luke Skywalker personally about what the occasion was. Never shy about telling the truth, and always thankful for his fans, Mark Hamill enlightened the world as to the story behind this memory. And with a bit of quick Googling, the following story could be told through his Twitter:
The shenanigans and smiles behind the scenes of Star Wars have been a great source of commentary for Mark Hamill to provide through his social media. This big birthday story is another of Hamill’s Sir Alec Guinness stories, which ranks right up there with the time that the acting legend was apparently very patient with his younger cast members and their enthusiasm.
As far as behind the scenes photos go, this Star Wars gem is a pretty exciting look back to those days when the multi-billion dollar Disney franchise was a scrappy upstart. Back before fans were flooding the internet with praise or condemnation of the latest adventure in that galaxy far, far away, no one knew what sort of success lied before them. It didn’t take the world long to recognize what Star Wars did to cinema, and even Sir Alec Guinness himself realized just what sort of sea change was ahead at that very moment.
Memories like these are what make a movie like Star Wars truly special. It’s not every day that an acting legend and fresh talented actors/filmmakers get to start off something amazing in the desert. And if that was the right kind of birthday cake, the warm champagne more than likely complimented the flavor perfectly. It may not be as clumsy as a blaster, or as civilized as a lightsaber, but it’s a moment that legends are made of. You can enjoy the legends of the Star Wars saga, courtesy of Disney+, should you have a subscription to do so; and as for Mr. Hamill’s stories of that long time ago, you know where you can find him.
