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A Star Wars incident convinced Mark Hamill Harrison Ford can never be the next George Lucas

Over the years, Mark Hamill has created quite a diverse acting portfolio for himself. In addition to his work in the war of stars franchise, he has explored so many different genres and worked with some of the most talented actors Hollywood has to offer from all corners. This has helped him understand the difference between a good director and a bad one.

Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker
Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in “The Empire Strikes Back” | Lucasfilm Ltd.

Given his knowledge, it’s quite surprising that he doesn’t consider his co-star Harrison Ford to be a good director. Although the actor has played iconic roles like Han Solo, Indiana Jones, and now the Red Hulk, he’s never been behind the camera, and there might be a good reason for that.

Harrison Ford has not yet picked up a camera

It is a fairly common phenomenon in Hollywood for A-list actors to try their hand at directing at least once in their careers. Even if it is temporary, it is a rite of passage that many go through, if only to see what they have learned. This is especially true for the Star Trek Franchise in which many actors directed an episode or two after starring in the series for years.

Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill became household names through Star Wars
Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill in the Star Wars franchise I Lucasfilm

However, the same does not seem to apply to the war of stars franchise, and there is no better example than Harrison Ford. The actor has been part of the franchise for years, but has never directed a project from the director’s chair. According to what Mark Hamill said in an interview with Seth Meyers, there is a very good reason for that.

I think he would be a really good director if he wasn’t so lazy.

Mark Hamill is best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars.
Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi I Lucasfilm

The Luke Skywalker actor revealed that he was very impressed with how well Ford kept track of the projects he was working on, then added that the actor would be an excellent director if he wasn’t so lazy.

Mark Hamill thinks Harrison Ford should stick to acting

While many may be quite surprised and upset by Mark Hamill’s words, he explained the reasons behind it. The actor mentioned that during the filming of a war of stars During the project, he noticed a continuity error: his hair was supposed to be wet after coming out of a garbage compactor.

It was right after we came out of the trash compactor. We hadn’t shot that scene yet. And I look at the sequence and I say, “Wait a minute, that’s right after we came out of the trash compactor. Shouldn’t my hair be all wet and covered in dirt?” He turns to me and says, “Hey kid, this isn’t that kind of movie.”

Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford on the set of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back | Lucasfilm
Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford on the set of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back | Lucasfilm

When Hamill raised these concerns, Harrison Ford told him to put his worries aside because it was very unlikely that the audience would notice the mistake themselves. While this example may not be the only reason Hamill concluded that Ford was lazy, it says a lot about the type of director he would be.

One of the most important qualities of a good director is perfectionism. They must be willing to do whatever it takes to make sure their vision is executed correctly. Since Ford clearly doesn’t have that, perhaps Hamill was on to something.