Mark Hamill became a household name when he was cast as Luke Skywalker in 1977's "Star Wars: A New Hope," and after reprising the role in several films and spinoffs, he's ready to retire the character.
In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, the 71-year-old actor said he never intended to be an icon.
"The truth of the matter is, I never really expected to be remembered for anything," Hamill said. "I just wanted to make a living doing what I liked. And I thought, Well, it could be worse. I could be, like, known as being the best actor who ever played Adolf Hitler, you know?' At least Luke is an admirable fellow."
Hamill, who most recently appeared in "The Mandalorian" on Disney+, said he doesn't intend to reprise his Skywalker role in any future productions.
"I just don't see any reason to," he said. "Let me put it that way: They have so many stories to tell, they don't need Luke anymore. I had my time, and that's good. But that's enough."
Hamill, who currently stars in "The Machine" with Bert Kreischer, also spoke about lending his famous voice to "Air Alert" — a downloadable app linked to Ukraine's air defense system. When air raid sirens start howling, the app also warns Ukrainians that Russian missiles, bombs, and deadly exploding drones may be incoming.
"It feels great to be able to do something," Hamill said, "instead of just twiddle my thumbs and curse at the television."
Hamill previously told The Associated Press that he's admired how Ukraine has "shown such resilience ... under such terrible circumstances."
Ukraine's fight against the Russian invasion, now in its second year, reminds him of the "Star Wars" saga, he added. Voicing over the English-language version of the air-raid app and giving it his "Star Wars" touch was his way of helping.
"A fairy tale about good versus evil is resonant with what's going on in Ukraine," Hamill. "The Ukrainian people rallying to the cause and responding so heroically ... It's impossible not to be inspired by how they've weathered this storm."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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