A reflective Mark Hamill has thanked Star Wars fans for an “extraordinary journey” as he looked back on more than 40 years of the seminal franchise.
Hamill has played Luke Skywalker in six of the nine main Star Wars films, first appearing in the 1977 original.
The 68-year-old reprised the role for a final time in 2019’s Rise Of Skywalker.
A few thoughts as one era ends and another begins…#StarWars pic.twitter.com/ZucNHEPtaS
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) April 3, 2020
On Friday, Hamill tweeted a letter to his nearly four million followers, recalling his early involvement with the franchise alongside his co-stars Harrison Ford and the late Carrie Fisher.
He said when filming got under way in 1976, there was “no way we could have known what an incredibly rich and imaginative set of adventures this obscure little space movie would launch, inspire eight more chapters to tell the entire Skywalker story”.
Hamill, who is beloved by Star Wars fans, thanked those who had followed the franchise from the start, as well as those newer to the films.
“As Carrie once said, Star Wars is about family, and that is what we all have become – one giant community that shares the experience of these stories and the fundamental value they instill in us,” he wrote.
Hamill added: “I am deeply thankful for all your continued enthusiasm and dedication to George (Lucas, the director and writer)’s faraway galaxy, which will continue to grow with new storytellers building an even bigger gallery, filled with heroes, villains, action, romance, and, of course, The Force.”