Mark Hamill has never been one to shy away from sharing his thoughts with the world through the conduit of social media and this time, it’s today’s youth’s lack of knowledge about an impactful, renowned personality that is bothering him.
Taking to Twitter, the Star Wars actor grieved a group of young adults who’d never heard of Bob Hope, thereby indicating the widening gap between his and today’s generation.
You don’t know what old really feels like until you meet a couple of 24-yr-olds who have never heard of Bob Hope.
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) July 3, 2023
The comment was met with sympathetic remarks as well as a recount of shared experiences by users. And most importantly, the tweet also inspired many to revisit Hope’s past contributions that immortalized his position as an unforgettable public figure.
That is, in addition to being an established standup comedian, Hope is remembered as a committed philanthropist whose passion for public service works led him to instill similar values in his celebrity cohorts.
After all, it was Hope who said, “You’re famous. You have an obligation to use your fame to do good to work for causes.” Every celebrity turned humanitarian, be it Audrey Hepburn, Paul Newman, or Angelina Jolie, is a part of the legacy that Hope left behind. Familiarity with him and his works will serve to broaden one’s understanding of Hollywood’s age-old custom of balancing fame with an active contribution to public service.