A long time ago, in a desert far, far away, a little-known 24-year-old actor called Mark Hamill was about to start filming a western set in space.
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Little did he or anyone else know that Star Wars would become one of the biggest films in cinema history, or spawn an empire of sequels, prequels and spin-offs. Not to mention action figures cast in his own likeness.
Now, Hamill - who appeared in a brief cameo at the end of the franchise reboot The Force Awakens in 2015 and has a major role in the forthcoming The Last Jedi, set for release this December - has posted an image of himself dressed as wannabe Jedi knight Luke Skywalker on what he suspects was the first morning of production, March 22, 1976.
The role has defined Hamill's career. Though he has a been a prolific voice-over artist, he has sometimes struggled to be taken seriously as an actor outside the universe George Lucas created. But, at 63, he appears to be fully at peace with the fact that Luke will almost certainly be his greatest legacy.
Almost 41 years to the day after first strapping a light saber to his belt, he posted the image for fans to enjoy.
It's unlikely to be the last image of Luke Skywalker we see in 2017.
Taken in Tunisia early morning Day #1 waiting for my 1st shot (emerging from home for robot auction)-Perhaps the very 1st #LukePic #SW pic.twitter.com/WMCGnWCotP??? Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) March 18, 2017
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is due for release in Australia on December 15, 2017.
Karl Quinn is on facebook at karlquinnjournalist and on twitter @karlkwin