But Mr. Hamill isn’t bitter or jaded, and he isn’t Luke, though he has retained some of that character’s incorruptibility. When he arrived in Los Angeles in 1969, Mr. Hamill was interested in acting, but really wanted to be involved in show business however he could. Of his cohort, Mr. Hamill said Mr. Ford was the one meant for matinee idol status: “He’s a brilliant actor — that’s a given,” he said. Mr. Hamill thought he would have some cover to refuse “The Force Awakens,” expecting that Mr. Ford would not return. As a teenager, Mr. Hamill said, “I saw it originally going, ‘Oh, can you imagine it?

Source: New York Times October 30, 2017 09:00 UTC