Starting with A New Hope, George Lucas crafted the iconic space opera Star Wars, which continues to captivate millions for decades. While the filmmaker remains the mastermind behind the galactic saga, the cast has also occasionally contributed to its development, with actors like Samuel L. Jackson and Harrison Ford suggesting enhancements to improve the final product on screen.
Mark Hamill, who took on the iconic role of Luke Skywalker in the saga, also stepped in to defy the wishes of the crew and suggested an alternate approach, which proved to be a game-changing decision and saved a crucial scene from the brinks of the failure in The Empire Strikes Back.
Mark Hamill’s Suggestion Prevented a Major Star Wars Blunder
The iconic Dark Side Cave scene from The Empire Strikes Back where Luke Skywalker has a vision of being attacked by Darth Vader, portrayed by David Prowse. However, when he decapitates the dark lord with his lightsaber, he sees his own head staring back at him from the Vader’s destroyed mask.
The scene, which the audience is treated to in the final cut, has been executed pretty greatly. However, it could have turned out to be one of the biggest disasters in the ionic franchise if it was not for Hamill’s suggestion.
Initially, the filmmakers intended to use a prosthetic head in Darth Vader’s mask for the sequence. However, Mark Hamill was not very satisfied with the quality of the prop, leading him to reportedly suggest that he would pose for the sequence instead of using the molded prop.
The scene was eventually filmed with Hamill poking his head into the Darth Vader helmet from beneath the stage. The actor later shared his experience filming the sequence, as he revealed that the prop head was rejected and “It was my head protruding through an opening in the set floor.”
He also shared that trying not to blink while surrounded by the smoke was nothing less than a challenge. “The hardest part was trying not 2 blink as that smoke wafted across my face,” he said. And it was not the only instance when Hamill felt the need to alter his character in the franchise.
Mark Hamill Convinced George Lucas to Cut Awkward Dialogue
Mark Hamill also openly expressed his discontent with the dialogue he was given in A New Hope. In an appearance on The Tonight Show, he recalled a specific instance where he asked George Lucas to cut a particularly awkward line.
After the destruction of Alderaan, a scene featured Han Solo (Harrison Ford) telling Luke and the others that he would drop them off on the nearest asteroid. Luke’s original response was,
But we can’t turn back, fear is their greatest defence. I doubt if the actual security there is any greater than it was on Aquilae or Sullust and what there is is most likely directed towards a large-scale assault.
Hamill was not too pleased with his lines, and questioned its practicality, asking Lucas, “Who talks like this, George?” He also pointed out that delivering such clunky lines would likely lead to the actors being criticized.
“This is really not fair, because you know we’re the ones who are gonna get vegetables thrown at us. Not you!” he recalled. Lucas eventually agreed with Hamill’s suggestion, removing the awkward dialogue and sparing both the audience and the actors from a potentially cringe-worthy moment.
The Star Wars film series is available to stream on Disney+.
