Mark Hamill's New 'Star Wars' Comments Are Great

The actor who starred as Luke in the original Star Wars trilogy and the more recent Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens has finally spoken out about an issue that has long interested fans of the series. According to Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker could be gay. Answering a question on the subject from The Sun, when playing Skywalker in the movies, Hamill left Skywalker's sexuality open to interpretation:

“But now fans are writing and ask all these questions, ‘I’m bullied in school... I’m afraid to come out’. They say to me, ‘Could Luke be gay?’ I’d say it is meant to be interpreted by the viewer. If you think Luke is gay, of course he is. You should not be ashamed of it. Judge Luke by his character, not by who he loves.”

Hamill has previously made similar statements on the subject of Luke's sexuality on Twitter.

It's a question that has interested viewers because the only hint of a romance that Hamill is given is with the woman who ends up being his sister. Hamill's response, while not altering the canonical films, demonstrates an understanding of the influence of the movies on young people, as well as the novel idea that one's sexual preference isn't a defining quality in itself. It's not the first time that Hamill has given great interviews about Star Wars; here are other times he's shown himself to possess the wisdom of a Jedi.

This Fantastic Analogy

"Acting in Star Wars, I felt like a raisin in a giant fruit salad, and I didn't even know who the cantaloupes were."

The quote, which first appeared in Leslie Halliwell's Film Guide according to The Spokesman-Review in 1980, has become famous, probably because it's a hilariously specific simile.

On Alec Guinness

"I can't tell you how much we laughed on the set to have Alec Guinness in a scene with a big, furry dog that's flying a space ship."

In an Associated Press interview in 2005, Hamill revealed how truly unprecidented high brow science fiction was.

On The Limits Of His Knowledge

"I hate to admit that I flunked a Star Wars trivia quiz, but I did."

In an interview with PC Magazine in Nov. 2015, Hamill revealed that he's not as much of a superfan as other superfans might like to believe.

Defending Vader

"I don’t think it’s fair to compare Dick Cheney to Vader — it’s unfair to Vader.”

When asked to compare US politicians to Star Wars characters on The Young Turks in 2012, Hamill had a lot of great answers — but his response to someone comparing Dick Cheney to Darth Vader was the best.

On The Force Awakens

"I had no choice whatsoever. And I love it."

Hamill has always been frank about his mixed feelings toward the franchise that made him famous, as demonstrated in this interview with Time in Dec. 2015.

From the politically astute to love letters to fans, it's nice that Hamill is still speaking out so eloquently about Star Wars.

Images: Giphy (6)