The Guidebook of the Galaxy: Facts About Star Wars!

So you think you know Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker)?

Fact 15: So you think you know Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker)?
Here are some facts you didn't know!

Fact One: Mark Hamill once climbed inside of Jabba The Hutt. You know all the little goofy things you would do if you were on a movie set and no one else was around? Mark apparently did them, and one day while the puppeteers were at lunch, he decided to climb inside Jabba The Hutt to see what the hell was going on in there. Turns out it's like "a sauna". "It's like a big rubber enclosure. All the puppeteers had gone to lunch and I wondered, 'I wonder what it's like in there."

Fact Two: He considers the character of Luke Skywalker to be bigger than him. Don't expect to hear any complaints from Hamill if the films are remade down the line and someone else puts his spin on his most famous character. He's very proud to have played him. He's overwhelmed by the idea that his portrayal will live on, but he doesn't think he solely owns the character. " Luke is immortal and I'm just an actor who got the honor to play him."

Fact Three: He hasn't watched any of the Stars Wars movies since they were in theaters. He's apparently not the type to "goes back and rewatches old stuff", but he will defend what Lucas did with the prequels. Here's the exact quote that most people would consider a little over the top: " I thought the prequels are amazing by the way. If we were a garage band, they were a philharmonic."

Fact Four: Being cast as The Joker terrified him. Most actors get really nervous before they go into audiences, but Hamill had no problem trying out for The Joker because he didn't think they could possibly hire the guy who played Luke Skywalker to play such an evil lunatic. So, he went in, had fun and went on his way. Two weeks later, they called him, said he won the job and the nerves came on immediately. They only got worse later: " And then my friend told me you're pretty brave. And I said why is that? And he said I wouldn't want to follow Jack Nicholson on anything. And then I got even more scared. But fear is a great motivator. "

Fact Five: Mark Hamill was positive Avatar: The Last Airbender would get canceled before it found an audience... He read the script and absolutely, positively loved it, but he couldn't quite figure out who would actually watch it because it was so "deep" and "intelligent". Fortunately, he accepted the role of Fird Lord Ozai anyway, and it proved to be a great decision. " I was really delighted when it found an audience and it showed that parents watch what their kids watch, and that a serious show that dealt with important issues could find an audience."

Fact Six: He's been married to the same woman for more than thirty-five years. Yes, you could have just looked that up on Wikipedia, but since I highly doubt you regularly check out Hamill's page and relationships that make it over the long haul are really damn cool, it's worth pointing out.

Fact Seven: Mark Hamill's greatest memory voicing the Joker was singing "Only You". " That wasn't something I expected to do as Joker - sing a song. But the Joker is never boring to me because he's crazy. And if you're crazy, you are unpredictable and you never do anything the same way. I was surprised how much I loved playing that role."

Fact Eight: Mark Hamill was surprised by Star Wars' success. More specifically, he didn't really think critics would be on board with it, but given its unique approach to sci-fi, he thought it might develop legs and wind up being a cult classic. Here's a portion of his exact quote: " I thought people would like it, because it took so many elements from movies we were familiar with, pirate, cowboy movies, war movies, and added humor. That's the thing that got me. Science fiction usually isn't funny. They have an 8 ft furry dog driving a spaceship, he's naked except headphones, that's funny."

Fact Nine: Mark Hamill refused to confirm anyone was returning for Episode VII. Except for R2-D2 who he said "hasn't stopped beeping about it". Sorry. I know you wanted more, but unlike Carrie Fisher, he's a little more tight-lipped when it comes to details he's not supposed to share.

Hopefully at the end of this book. Your minds are full of Star Wars facts you didn't know! And that your minds are officially blown :D