Mark Hamill had second thoughts about 2017's ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’

Mark Hamill is looking back at the moment he almost turned down the role that he now believes reignited his career.

In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter published on September 11, the 73-year-old actor admitted he was reluctant to return as Luke Skywalker in 2017’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi. 

“I had real reservations about coming back. I thought it would be a mistake,” Hamill said, explaining his initial hesitation. 

“You can’t catch lightning in a bottle twice — they should really focus on a new generation of characters.”

He went on to say that Harrison Ford’s decision to reprise his role as Han Solo played a big part in changing his mind. 

“And I thought, ‘Well, Harrison is not going to do it anyway.’ You could see his irritation with constantly having to talk about Han Solo. Once I saw in the press that he had accepted, I felt like I had been drafted — because if I’m the only one [of the original trio, along with the late Carrie Fisher] who says no, I’ll be the most hated man in nerd-dom.”

Ultimately, Hamill credits the film with giving his career fresh momentum, leading to more feature roles and renewed attention. 

“I certainly didn’t expect to have this sudden burst of life so late in the game,” he shared. 

“I should be spending time wandering the beaches with a metal detector. I can't explain why, all of a sudden, I have five features this year.”

The actor also reflected on how his perspective shifted after years of focusing on voice and television work. 

“It’s not easy getting older, and it’s even harder when you’re doing it on camera,” he said, recalling that about five years ago he considered leaving on-screen roles behind entirely. 

That changed when director Mike Flanagan and producer Trevor Macy approached him for The Fall of the House of Usher in 2023.

“I was playing the family lawyer to a really evil family — a soulless, truly evil guy. And I loved it. It was minimalist,” Hamill said. 

“It was unlike anything I had ever done, and it sort of rekindled my satisfaction of doing things on camera.”

He also praised his upcoming project The Life of Chuck, saying, “I’ve seen it now three times. My wife has seen it like six times. She says, ‘It’s my favorite thing you’ve ever done.’”