Date: September 9, 2004
Source: IESB.NET
Mark Hamill made a surprise guest appearance at the Star Wars Trilogy DVD junket. Talking mostly about his memories of making the trilogy and his current line of work, Hamill was asked if he would be interested in doing Episodes VII, VIII and IX should Lucas decide to make them. Hamill dodged in appropriately nostalgic fashion, but was pressed further below.
“He talked about doing a VII, VIII, IX,” Hamill began. “You know when I first did this, it was four trilogies. 12 movies! And out on the desert, any time between setups… lots of free time. And George was talking about this whole thing. I said, ‘Why are you starting with IV, V and VI? It’s crazy.’ [Imitating Lucas grumble,] ‘It’s the most commercial section of the movie.’ He said the first trilogy’s darker, more serious. And the impression I got, he said, ‘Um, how’d you like to be in Episode IX?’ This is 1976. ‘When is that going to be?’ ‘2011.’ I defy anyone to add 36 years to their lives and not be stunned. Even an eight year old is like, ‘No, I’ll never be 47.’ So I did the math and figured out how old I’d be. I said, ‘Well, what do you want me to do?’ He said, ‘You’ll just be like a cameo. You’ll be like Obi Wan handing the lightsaber down to the next new hope.’ And I’m thinking, ‘I love the guy. If he wanted me to do light yard work at his house, I’d be out clipping the hedges.’ So I went, ‘Sure.’ But I thought he just realized that he’s going to be doing it the rest of his life and he’d rather not do that.”
When the prospect of a TV series was brought up, Hamill went into outright denial. “See, the thing is, on one hand, the way I look at it is there was a beginning, a middle and an end and it’s over. Even though it’s never over. But for me it’s over. But what’ll happen is these fans will come over, ‘But you just became a Jedi. Now what happens? It’s like doing the story of how 007 got his license to kill and then not telling any stories.’ So I said, ‘I wish my agent had this much passion.’ They really want me to do these stories. I loved it all, I really did, but I never in my mind ever thought it would be something I’d be talking about this long.”
In fact, the prospect Hamill thought would be hardest was watching a new cast come in and do the prequels. “We were doing the last one, it was really like the last semester of school, you’re cleaning out your locker, ‘Oh, we’ll stay in touch’ and of course you never see these people again. But I’m thinking, ‘What’s it going to be like when I see all these new people coming in doing [it]?’ People get really possessive. That’s my lightsaber. Han Solo doesn’t have a lightsaber. He’s got a wookie and Harrison is that way, that’s my wookie. Territory, it’s so baby town. So I thought they were going to do it five years after we finished. Not 34 years [sarcastic], what is it now? Not like waiting until I’m in my early ‘70s. So anyway, I thought it would be much more difficult than it was, because I thought it would be like watching a bunch of strangers rifle through your toy box. ‘Hey, that’s mine.’ But instead, they waited long enough so that it’s like a whole fresh start. These movies stand on their own, the early ones, because they’re prequels. They don’t rely on the later ones. It’s just like a whole new deal. What’s exciting to see is the amount of autonomy George has to do what he wants to do instead of having to compromise all the way down the line.”
The Star WarsTrilogy DVD streets September 21.
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