Mark Hamill did not have a lucrative post-Star Wars career like his co-star Harrison Ford. While the typecasting that came with the iconic Luke Skywalker role made it difficult for him to find other big acting roles, the character also made him a highly valuable star within the franchise. When Disney launched the sequel trilogy, Hamill was paid $3 million for a 30-second appearance in Episode VII: The Force Awakens.
Hamill’s salary for the first film, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, was $650,000. He also received a percentage of the profits from his backend deal. However, his salaries for other Star Wars projects are not publicly available now.
Mark Hamill Earned $100,000 Per Second For His Appearance In The Force Awakens
The Force Awakens, the first movie in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, explored the search for Luke Skywalker, who exiled himself after being betrayed by Kylo Ren. Daisy Ridley’s character Rey finds Luke only at the end of the film, giving Mark Hamill a screen time of 30 seconds (via IMDB). According to Men’s Health, Hamill was paid a seven-figure salary nearing $3 million for the role.
The incredibly short cameo earned him $100,000 for each second, making it one of the biggest paydays for an actor for such a small amount of screen time. It is expected that Hamill was similarly paid handsome salaries for his appearances in the subsequent movies, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. While the exact amounts are unknown, he may have made anywhere between $5 million to $10 million for each of the movies.
Hamill also made cameo appearances as a younger version of Luke Skywalker in the Disney+ series, The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. When considering his $3 million salary for 30 seconds, it is assumed that Hamill earned a high six-figure to low seven-figure salary for each of these appearances.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Mark Hamill’s net worth is $18 million, and he attributes the majority of his wealth to the Star Wars franchise. However, his co-star Harrison Ford, who played Han Solo, built an illustrious career after his Star Wars roles, amassing a net worth of $300 million.
How Much Did Mark Hamill Earn From Star Wars?
According to Parade, Mark Hamill’s salary for A New Hope was $650,000, and he negotiated a 0.25% backend deal on the profits of the film. Box Office Mojo determined the final collection of the film as $775 million. With just an $11 million budget, the profits for the movie reached $750 million. Hamill made at least $1.8 million from his deal in addition to his salary.
However, his salaries from The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi are not currently available. It is expected that Hamill made more than his $2.5 million salary from the first film for his second and third films. Hamill only earned royalties for the theatrical re-release of the original trilogy. He did not receive royalties for the video or television releases.
It is determined from these numbers that Mark Hamill made at least $10 million out of his $18 million net worth solely from the Star Wars franchise. All his Star Wars appearances are now available for streaming on Disney+.
