I’ve decided to try a new thing on Wednesdays! Just be a nostalgic fan as opposed to the deeper dive. So let’s kick off this experiment and celebrate an amazing man! Nothing deep and not full of facts and figures. I started this idea of Gen X Watch to counter the toxic Gen X nostalgia with some beauty and introspection. Our topics can be heavy and serious, but there is also room to just be a casual fan boy and enjoy that and celebrate it.
Today is Mark Hamill’s Birthday. He is 73 and I am both thrilled and a little scared. I am happy to celebrate his birthday and the gifts he gave my generation and the generations after me, but I don’t want to lose him to the natural course of life and aging and I hope he is taking his vitamins.
Luke Skywalker
In 1977 Episode IV A New Hope released in theaters. We only knew it as Star Wars back then. There was nothing else like it and the world was introduced to a young moisture farmer who was swept into a world of adventure and destiny. He was the classic everyman, but he was also young.
The character of Luke Skywalker had frustrations and dreams and optimism. He also had fear and humanity which made him more approachable and relatable to the imagination. He was the all ages everyman we could all relate to, and like Luke, we could be more and even be heroic. And the engine of that heroism was found in a character with optimism, curiosity, and a belief in good and doing the right thing simply because it was the right thing.
When R2-D2 shared Princess Leah’s cry for help, he wanted to help because someone needed help. When he faced the tragedy of losing his uncle and his aunt he felt all the pain in a poignant moment, but moved forward to heed the call. He did not do so without fear, but he moved forward anyway. When on the Death Star he convinced Han to help them in the rescue of the princess against all odds. Finally, he trusted himself and a mystical Force enough to turn off targeting computers and do the impossible as if it was mere womp rats in Beggar’s Canyon.
I love that I am in my 50’s and when I walk by the toy isle there are still Star Wars action figures, Legos, and other amazing things that remind me of my own childhood. Every so often I still buy one. There may be an assembled Lego Millennium Falcon in my bedroom.
The year Star Wars came out I was obsessed and I was 7. Before there was cosplay my grandmother went through magazines and comics as she bought fabric and other equipment to painstakingly make me the best Luke Skywalker costume just in time for the Cub Scout Halloween party. At the party we had a tug of war game and as my team prepared an older boy assigned me to be anchor. As he gave me directions and advice to drive us to victory, he called me Luke! I felt stronger, taller, and more heroic in that moment. The Force was with my team as we won. There was no medal ceremony for me and my friends, but the caramel apple was a sweet and messy reward!
Social Mark
When I look at fan communities online, it must be exhausting to be an actor in a franchise that has a large fan base. Many can be enthusiastic and there are others who can be so very toxic. Mark Hamill makes himself as available to the fans as possible in conventions, in public, and online. He does so in genuine kindness and graciousness. But there is something else he does. He draws boundaries.
If “fans” are racist, sexist, or even trans/homo phobic, he will make his stand for his castmates and all the normal people who meet the targeted demographics. He makes it clear to the fans that Daisy Ridley and Kelly Marie Tran matter to him and there is no room for sexism and racism in his fan base.
His social media presence is more than Star Wars, though. It is so entertaining and affirming that Mark Hamill was the sole reason that made leaving Twitter hard when I no longer felt safe there as the parent of transgender child. In a world of toxicity he is entertaining, kind, and not afraid to be vulnerable and make moral stands for a kinder world.
The vulnerability is sometimes disarming. In the wake of Carrie Fisher’s death, you could not read his social media and not realize that this was not a typical RIP celebrity tweet, this was someone who lost a friend and was grieving.
He also puts his money and his talent to use for a better world. Just the tip of the iceberg of the good he does includes supporting Children Helping Poor and Homeless Children. Additionally his involvement in not only meet and greets for Make-A-Wish but also raising money has allowed countless kids experience a moment of joy before we lose them.
The lessons he teaches us by being himself? Have fun, be kind, celebrate your friends, don’t be silent to hate, men can express feelings and all of us can give our time and money to help others in need.
The Other Roles and Versions
In the 90’s we got to see him play the Trickster in The Flash tv series (pre arrow verse). And many a Batman fan has absolutely loved his iconic voicing of the Joker in the Batman animated series. He continued to entertain us by reading Trump tweets occasionally in the voice of the Joker.
There are a lot of other roles he has palyed on the small screen, the big screen, and the stage. I would love to hear your favorite roles.
There was one role he did that took me into another place of fandom.
In 1978 he co starred in a movie with Annie Potts called Corvette Summer. This was a time before on demand video, the internet, and even a VHS machine in every home. I saw an ad on television that Mark Hamill was in a movie called Corvette Summer. There was no Empire Strikes Back yet and I was hungry to see Luke Skywalker in a new role.
I cannot remember which adult gave me access to this movie, but it was not age appropriate for an 8 year old. But along the way I developed a crush in Annie Potts and that led to fandom. And in that fandom her roles, her words, and her perspectives would also shape me to seek a better world.
Thank You Mark Hamill and Happy Birthday
You are likely not going to read this, but I hope a few other fans like me do. Thank you for auditioning for Luke Skywalker. Thank you for being a fan with us and showing us the beauty and power of fandom. I appreciate you for the glimpses of you that you have allowed us to share and the lessons you taught just by being you.
I hope you have a happy birthday surrounded by love. And for Odin’s sake please take care of yourself so we can have more adventures together!
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