Mark Hamill, the iconic actor behind Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, has proven himself to be one of the most open and honest celebrities working today. Not only is he an active participant at the various conferences and events held in honor of the franchise, but he’s also incredibly active on his Twitter page, regularly posting fun stories and/or behind-the-scenes knowledge of the iconic series.
While Star Wars fans young and old may have a ritual in their viewing practices – I know for a fact that my brother watches the whole series in order by events (as in Rogue One before Episode IV) every other year – Hamill apparently isn’t one of them.
After a fan asked him on Twitter when the last time he saw the original film was, the legendary performer revealed that he hadn’t seen it since 1997, over two decades ago. But there’s more to the story, as that screening – the Special Edition re-release in theaters commemorating its 20th anniversary – was important to his family.
You can check out the Tweet for yourself down below.
I haven't seen it since the Special Edition was released in theaters in 1997 & only because my kids had only watched the home video, had never seen it on the big screen & insisted I take them. https://t.co/nagfUy6qvM
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) August 22, 2019
Though pretty much everybody on the planet can only imagine what it’d be like to watch George Lucas’ masterpiece on the big screen with its main star, this is an incredibly sweet story to hear. But it’s also kind of funny, given that Hamill’s role in the franchise hasn’t ended. While Skywalker may’ve died at the end of The Last Jedi, the actor’s confirmed that we’ll see Luke again as a Force Ghost in The Rise of Skywalker.
But again, the argument can be made that while the rest of us can only see Star Wars, Hamill lived it. His never-ending stories and recollections about the franchise indicates that he holds the experience close to his heart, so what need is there to watch it?