There was a time, once the original trilogy was over, that the actors so closely associated with those iconic roles and characters hads to move on to new projects. Some, like Harrison Ford, would easily transition from the GFFA into other roles, specifically in the case of Ford to more Indiana Jones and in 1985 his one and only Academy Award nomination for the criminally overlooked Witness. Carrie Fisher carried with her a personality and talent that screamed to be heard, taking it to supporting roles in hit films (When Harry Met Sally, The ‘Burbs) and most notably onto the written page, while Mark Hamill transitioned onto the stage in hit Broadway plays and the realms of vocal performances where he became an animation legend. That said, leaving the galaxy far, far away wasn’t quite so easy for Hamill, and speaking on NPR show Fresh Air he remembers some direct and wise advice from space sister Carrie about how to tackle that.
“She came to see a Broadway show of mine, and in the playbill, in my bio, I listed all my theater credits and at the end it said, ‘He’s also known for a series of popular space movies.’ And she goes, ‘What’s the deal? How come you don’t mention “Star Wars”?’ And I said, ‘Well, I want to show that I have a resume that includes extensive theater credits.’ And she said, ‘Hey, get over yourself. You’re Luke Skywalker. I’m Princess Leia. Embrace it.’
And I kind of saw what she meant, you know, because you say to yourself, ‘What territory do I occupy that no one else does?’ So she was someone that sort of put it in perspective for me.”
