Mark Hamill has revealed his children have divided opinions over the Star Wars franchise.
The 74‑year‑old actor - who portrays Luke Skywalker in all the films of the original and sequel trilogies, as well as in the television series The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett - said his eldest son Nathan, 46, was completely hooked from the moment he stepped onto the Return of the Jedi set as a child.
He told USA TODAY: “He was totally into it. He could sit in Yoda’s house because he was little. He was perfectly proportioned. He sat on the Emperor’s throne. He was in the creature shop, and they were letting him play with things.”
He added that Nathan had the same reaction when he visited The Muppet Show set, saying: “I thought, ‘What a wonderful experience for him.’ … I was almost envious of him being able to have all these experiences.”
But Hamill said the reaction from his younger son Griffin, 42, couldn’t have been more different.
Born in 1983, the same year Return of the Jedi was released, Griffin grew up surrounded by Star Wars hype — but wasn’t impressed. Hamill said his son took a far more serious view of the franchise and didn’t hesitate to tell him.
Hamill revealed: “My second son, Griffin, is more analytical and serious, and he says: ‘You know, Star Wars movies just aren’t for me. They’re too commercial for my liking.’”
The blunt verdict didn’t bother the actor, who laughed as he explained the contrast between his children.
He said his daughter Chelsea, 37, enjoys the films, proving that even in the home of Luke Skywalker himself, Star Wars fandom isn’t guaranteed.
Hamill summed it up simply: “Kids are all different!"
Meanwhile, Hamill recently revealed his biggest regret is missing the chance to work with Harrison Ford in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
Although the pair appeared in 2015’s Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, Ford’s Han Solo was killed off before the movie introduced Hamill’s exiled Skywalker, and Hamill admitted he wishes his Jedi master was given the opportunity to reunite with the smuggler in Disney’s new trilogy.
When asked which actor he most wanted to work with while partaking in The Hollywood Reporter’s Roundtables series - which also featured Adam Sandler, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Jacob Elordi, Michael B. Jordan and Jeremy Allen White - Hamill said: “Well, in the sequel trilogy, Harrison Ford.
“Cause I only had two cameos, and the middle one we never … Aren’t we gonna have a moment where all three of us [including Carrie Fisher's Princess Leia] get together and raise the roof? It’ll only take 30 seconds.”
The Long Walk actor added he had spoken with The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams about Luke Skywalker crossing paths with Han Solo, but his plea seemingly fell on deaf ears.
Hamill continued: “And J.J. said, ‘Well, Mark, it’s not Luke’s story anymore,’ and I said, ‘Star Wars wasn’t Obi-Wan’s story, but Alec Guinness had a crucial … You know. Anyway, nobody listens to me.”
Both Hamill and Ford would once again appear in 2019’s Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker, though an on-screen reunion between the pair still did not happen.
