It’s hard not to like Mark Hamill. With his jovial attitude and natural charisma, the actor has managed to win a place in the hearts of millions of fans around the world with his role as Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars saga. It is remarkable that this sympathy and optimism are deeply related to a serious accident that almost cost him his life shortly before starting filming The Empire Strikes Back.
On January 11, 1977, in the midst of the fever following the release of the Star Wars phenomenon the previous summer, Mark Hamill suffered a serious car accident that fractured his nose and right cheekbone. In Jonathan W. Rinzler’s book about the filming of The Empire Strikes Back, it is mentioned how this accident forever changed the way Hamill saw his career and his life. After several hours of surgery to repair the facial fractures (“from nine in the morning until four in the afternoon,” according to producer Gary Kurtz), the young actor had to face a painful recovery that left him with visible scars and a new attitude that made him rethink many things.
Cómo se hizo Star Wars El imperio contraataca (Star Wars: Guías Ilustradas)
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A new life
Despite the seriousness of the accident, Hamill maintained a positive attitude during his recovery. This 180-degree turn in his mentality allowed him to return to the set of Star Wars with a new perspective, determined to take his life more calmly and behave in a more mature manner, especially thinking about starting a family. As he himself has commented in numerous interviews, the accident taught him not to take anything for granted. This personal growth seems to have nurtured the essence of Luke Skywalker throughout the rest of the Star Wars films, also showing a character who is more mature and more aware of his weaknesses.
Mark Hamill in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
In a 1978 interview, Hamill recalled: “I was going about 110 Kph… I lost control, flipped, and went off the road.” Despite waking up in the hospital with serious injuries, thinking his career “was over,” Hamill managed to continue acting. The accident prevented Lucas from using the actor for several additional shots he needed to complete the first film, but he managed to get out of the situation without him. However, while it did not affect the production schedule, one of the most tangible effects of the accident was the changes in Hamill’s physical appearance, which became evident when facing the filming of The Empire Strikes Back.
There has been speculation for years that his face underwent several plastic surgeries after the accident, and many fans believe that these operations completely changed his appearance. But the truth is that, although the accident left scars, the surgeries were not as invasive as some may think. Hamill underwent basic reconstructive procedures to repair the fractures, but the urban legend about a radical plastic surgery has remained alive for over four decades.
Mark Hamill in Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
Although the accident did not affect his role in The Empire Strikes Back, it is said that the scene of the wampa attack was included to justify his somewhat different appearance, although Hamill has never officially spoken about it. George Lucas and the creative team decided to incorporate Hamill’s accident into the plot, and they did so through the famous scene in which Luke is attacked by a wampa on the icy planet of Hoth. In the scene, Luke receives deep facial scars after the creature’s attack, which allowed the marks on the actor’s face to be justified in the story, and to present an intimate scene with Princess Leia that would eventually be deleted from the final cut.
The accident ultimately did not affect Mark Hamill’s career as much as the fame he had gained in this series of films, and it also did not prevent The Empire Strikes Back from becoming one of the most iconic films in cinema history. The car accident that almost ended his life was actually a turning point that made him the icon he is today. If you are a fan of Star Wars and want to relive all the adventures of Luke Skywalker, as well as explore the new productions of the galactic universe, you can enjoy all the movies and series of Star Wars on Disney+.
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