Mark Hamill Marks 50 Years Since Filming Began on Star Wars: “It Makes You Feel Old”.
Mark Hamill is reflecting on a milestone that few actors ever experience — the 50th anniversary of the day cameras first rolled on the original Star Wars. And while the moment is undeniably historic, the actor admits it also comes with a twinge of disbelief.
In a conversation with USA Today, the 74‑year‑old star said that March 22, the date filming began in 1976, stirred up a wave of nostalgia. “It doesn’t feel like 50 years, and it makes you feel old,” Hamill said. He added that he recently revisited a notebook he kept during production. Filled with handwritten notes from the set, the journal “was bringing back such memories… time flies when you’re having fun.”
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Revisiting the Early Days of a Cultural Phenomenon
Hamill has often spoken fondly about the chaotic, imaginative energy of the original trilogy’s production. At a Star Wars event in London in 2016, he recalled the thrill of filming some of the saga’s most iconic moments — including the scene in which Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia swing across a chasm inside the Death Star.
“They got it in one take, which was so disappointing,” he joked. “So they said, ‘Do you want to fly?’ and they flew me all around the set, Peter Pan‑style.”
The actor also remembered how surreal it felt to work on a film that, at the time, seemed like a quirky sci‑fi adventure rather than a future global juggernaut. “I remember when we were doing the movie, it reads like a toy box,” he said.
#MarkHamill, one of the original #StarWars cast members, just revealed what he really thinks of Dave Filoni taking over Lucasfilm:
According to Hamill, he "can't think of better hands" to take over the brand than Filoni, noting that Lucas was his mentor, "so he knows George's… pic.twitter.com/uv5o2K9yM5
— ScreenRant (@screenrant) April 8, 2026
A Perk Fit for a Jedi: Toys Delivered to His Door
One of Hamill’s most charming memories from the early days of Star Wars involves the now‑legendary merchandise empire the franchise would eventually spawn. Long before Star Wars toys became collector’s items, Hamill asked George Lucas if he could receive one of every product tied to the film.
“Can I get on a list where I get one of everything?” he recalled asking. Lucas agreed — and soon, boxes of toys began arriving at Hamill’s home. “The toys start coming to your house every day — every day more toys.”
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A New Era Begins: The Mandalorian and GroguArrives in May
Half a century after Hamill first stepped onto a desert set in Tunisia as a young Luke Skywalker, the Star Wars universe continues to expand. The franchise’s first new film in nearly seven years, The Mandalorian and Grogu, is set to premiere on May 22.
The movie will build on the success of the hit Disney+ series The Mandalorian, bringing the beloved duo to the big screen for the first time and marking the next chapter in the ever‑growing galaxy far, far away.