Mark Hamill said 'Star Wars' creator George Lucas never lived down how bad the 'Holiday Special' was
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Kirsten Acuna
Oct 14, 2020, 23:11 IST
Mark Hamill appears briefly in the "Star Wars Holiday Special" that aired in 1978 on CBS with Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford.Lucasfilm
During a virtual event with USC, Mark Hamill said he originally didn't want to do the notorious "Star Wars Holiday Special."
He said he knew it was terrible after reading the script.
Hamill agreed to do it after "Star Wars" creator George Lucas called him up and asked him to do it for him and for merchandisers.
"[Lucas] never lived it down. He once said, 'If I could find every copy of that holiday special, I'd smash them with a hammer,'" Hamill said of Lucas' reaction to the special's poor reception.
Hamill said he told Lucas he should just embrace it for the learning experience it would provide to others.
"I said, 'George, we should own that because it shows that everybody's fallible.'"
"The 'Star Wars Holiday Special' is so notorious. [Creator] George [Lucas] once asked us, 'Please, never mention it again,'" Hamill said during a conversation with the Dean of the University of Southern California's USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism Willow Bay Tuesday evening. The virtual event was part of the school's Amplified series.
The infamous 1978 special only aired once on CBS and was never released on video. It's not even available to stream on Disney Plus.
It's supposed to be about Chewbacca's journey home to spend a Wookiee holiday with his family. Bloated with celebrity cameos and segments which make little sense, it's quite painful to get through.
Hamill said he actually almost didn't take part in the special because he knew just how bad it was.
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"When I read the script, I said I'm not doing this," Hamill said.
What changed his mind?
"Star Wars" creator George Lucas and merchandising.
"[Lucas] had to call me and say, 'Please, do this,'" Hamill said. "You've got to remember. This was the Christmas of '78, a year and a half after ['Star Wars: A New Hope'] came out. When he called me and he said, 'Well, I heard you don't want to do it,' I said, 'It's terrible! It's not 'Star Wars.' It's like a Bob Hope special."
"He said, 'Well, we really need to do this for the merchandisers and keep the product alive in people's minds. Do me a favor,'" Hamill continued. "And, of course, I'd do anything for George."
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Hamill called it. The special was not received well at all. Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher only show up near the very end of it in glorified TV cameos.
The actor said it has always stayed with Lucas.
"He's never lived it down. He once said, 'If I could find every copy of that holiday special, I'd smash them with a hammer,'" Hamill said.
Hamill can joke about it now, and said he thinks it's something they should lean into as a learning experience for others.
"I said, 'George, we should own that because it shows that everybody's fallible,'" Hamill continued. "Everybody makes mistakes."
The actor said his tweet was inspired by a similar one from screenwriter Jeremy Slater who wrote "Fantastic Four."
During the nearly hour-long conversation, Hamill answered student questions and gave acting advice. He also shared his thoughts on the first presidential debate (he called it "an embarrassment") and the importance to get out and vote.
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