Mark Hamill Provides Insight Into An Unearthed Star Wars Screen Test With Harrison Ford
A long time ago, in a galaxy very, very close, George Lucas set out to make a motion picture simply titled "Star Wars." What started as a passion project for the filmmaker quickly became a global success and spawned one of the most successful franchises of all time. Lucas cast relative newcomers Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher in two lead roles, with Harrison Ford joining them shortly after. The director was initially hesitant to cast Ford as Han Solo as he wanted an unknown cast, but Ford earned the role after Lucas used him during screen tests for the other actors.
One of those screen tests recently surfaced on Twitter, showing Ford and Hamill acting alongside one another. The gem of a video features the two legends reading through an early draft of the script, specifically when their characters reach Alderaan's previous location after the Empire destroyed the planet. The two argue about how to proceed after their arrival. Luke wants to find the Rebels, while Han wants the other half of his payment, which Luke admits he doesn't have. From the short video, it's clear why Lucas eventually gave Ford and Hamill the roles of Han and Luke. The older Ford completely takes over the screen test, giving a movie-worthy performance as the smuggler, while Hamill oozes the heroism and naivety of a young Luke Skywalker.
The screen test footage made its way over to Hamill's Twitter feed, and the actor gave some interesting insight into what went on behind the scenes.
Hamill was confused during his Star Wars screen test
From the looks of things, it seems like the entire production process for "Star Wars" was such a fun experience for the cast. Mark Hamill revealed on Twitter that neither he nor Harrison Ford had read the entire script for the movie at the time of their screen test. "At this point, neither of us had read the full script, only this one scene," the actor said. "I was full of questions, but George said, 'Let's just try one & we'll talk about it later.' Even though it felt like a parody of sci-fi, I decided to play it as sincerely as possible."
Hamill's insight is a pretty surprising reveal, as anyone who watches the video would assume that both actors were familiar with their characters. The two stars radiate their heroes' personalities and confirm that no other actors could play the roles of Han and Luke. The screen test was an extended scene of the two characters discovering the remains of Alderaan, one that George Lucas eventually removed in the movie's final cut. Hamill's only regret? Ford's line "I'm beginning not to like you" didn't make the theatrical version.
Naturally, "Star Wars" fans flooded Hamill's replies asking questions about the screen test, and the actor surprisingly answered many of them, giving even more insight into how it went down. Twitter user @ndisgize asked if Lucas had cast Ford at this moment, and Hamill revealed that no one had officially joined the role yet. Hamill also said he never read with Kurt Russell, stating he thought the actor had auditioned for Luke, not Han.