In Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Mark Hamill is having fun as Luke who’s older and wiser than when he was hitting on Princess Leia
Actor says he feels nostalgic looking at all the new young cast members that have joined the space opera franchise, and says it’s fun being involved again even though his character’s story is much darker than in earlier episodes
Luke Skywalker was silent two years ago when audiences saw him in Star Wars: The Force Awakens . So now he’s got plenty to say about a bunch of things, starting with a literal cliffhanger.
The new Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens as The Force Awakens ended, with old Luke (played by Mark Hamill) being found on an island by young heroine Rey (Daisy Ridley), who hands him his light sabre from long ago. A dramatic scene, no doubt, and a visual pun that Hamill in retrospect adores.
“I was actually standing on a cliff,” he says. “Now, I suggested we print ‘To be continued’ on my forehead but they said no!”
Hamill, 66, is living it up in the galaxy far, far away yet again, just as he did in George Lucas’ original trilogy that began in 1977. That Luke was a farm boy with an eye for adventure alongside Harrison Ford’s Han Solo and Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia; this Luke is a lot wiser, feeling responsible for mentoring young Ben Solo (Adam Driver), who has turned to the dark side as Kylo Ren.
And when Rey shows up with some serious Force power, Luke is worried yet again. “For him to say it’s time for the Jedi to end, what could have happened that would put him in a place like that?” Hamill says.
If you can’t have fun making a Star Wars movie, there’s something wrong with you
Not that he’s going to answer that question yet. But USA TODAY did chat with him about the original movies, the new films and being a part of a young-leaning cast again.