Mark Hamill Blesses Our Day, Gives His Blessing To Young Luke Skywalker Actor
Not all heroes wear capes (but some of the Jedi do). Mark Hamill recently took to Twitter to give his blessing to child actor Grant Feely, who will play a young Luke Skywalker in the upcoming Disney+ "Star Wars" limited series, "Obi-Wan Kenobi" (via Variety). Here's what Master Skywalker had to say to the young actor:
Grant Feely looks like a perfect Luke Skywalker and I am wishing him all the very best!#TheForceIsWithFeely https://t.co/FOMDPEeht9
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) March 15, 2022
This sweet and endearing gesture did not go unnoticed by Grant, who responded with the following:
"I am so honored to take on this role @HamillHimself! You set the bar high and I hope to make you proud. Your support means so much!"
Yeah, I'm totally not crying — you are.
The Force is strong with this one
The first trailer for "Obi-Wan Kenobi" features a young Luke Skywalker, who is being watched over by Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), meaning that fans will most likely be allowed a glimpse how far Obi-Wan went to protect the boy. The show is set 10 years after the events of "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith," and follows a disillusioned Obi-Wan and his years of exile on Tatooine. Obi-Wan's prime agenda is to protect Luke from Jedi-hunting Inquisitors and his father, Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen), who, of course, Luke does not know anything about until the events of "Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope."
Hamill's support for Grant is not only endearing but essential, a we all remember the hate/controversy directed towards a young Jake Lloyd, who played a young Anakin Skywalker in the prequel trilogy. Say what you will about the prequels, but the bildungsroman-esque Anakin arc was essential to portraying the circumstances of his childhood and his attachment to his mother, which ultimately culminated into his transformation into Darth Vader years along the line. As Grant's only other acting credit is an episode of "Creepshow," Hamill's support means quite a big deal, hopefully shielding him for unnecessary criticism from a generations-spanning fandom, as that can visibly take a toll on a young person's mental health.
The character of Luke Skywalker is nothing short of iconic, crafting a legacy that is still being furthered by interpretations of the character in the "Star Wars" sequel trilogy, along with shows such as "The Mandalorian" and "The Book of Boba Fett." Hamill spoke about the opportunity of playing a young Skywalker again on "The Tonight Show," calling the experience "unexpected:"
"Talk about unexpected. I had finished playing that part, and I never expected to do it again. I figured if they ever tell stories of Luke in that period, post the originals and pre-sequels, they would get an age-appropriate actor. So when [series creator] Jon Favreau and [producer] Dave Filoni told me about what they wanted to do, I was just stunned."
Now that we do have an age-appropriate actor to play a young Luke, we wish him the very best! Apart from McGregor and Christensen, who will be reprising their iconic roles, and Grant playing Luke, the cast of "Obi-Wan Kenobi" comprises Moses Ingram, Indira Varma, Kumail Nanjiani, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Simone Kessell, Benny Safdie, Maya Erskine, and Rory Ross.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi" will premiere on Disney+ on March 25, 2022.