Guide Note

Actor Mark Hamill's long and varied career began prominently with his appearance as Luke Skywalker in George Lucas' Star Wars. He reprised the role in both sequels and they are the landmark performances of his career.

Fast Facts

1. Born: September 25, 1951
2. Won Saturn Awards for Best Actor for all three Star Wars films
3. Wife: Marilou York
4. Encouraged by friend Robert Englund to audition for Luke Skywalker

Near the end of filming Star Wars: A New Hope, Hamill fracture his nose and cheekbone in a car accident. A stand-in was used for necessary pick-up shots, and Hamill's scars from reconstructive surgery are visible in footage from The Empire Strikes Back.

Lucas had once considered filming a sequel trilogy where Hamill would play an aging Skywalker training a new era of Jedi knights, but recent Lucas interviews have suggested that this will not happen.

Aside from the Star Wars series, Hamill has appeared in several other films, including The Big Red One and Time Runner. He is most notable for contributing vocal work to Batman: The Animated Series, The Little Mermaid, Robot Chicken and other animated shows and features.