Q&A on E!

From saila: Have you been asked to be involved in any way with the prequels of the Star Wars trilogy?
No, but apparently for $7.50, they will let me see it.

From jorgie: Which was your favorite Star Wars, and why?
That's like asking which is your favorite kid. You love them all for different reasons. I did appreciate the fact that Luke had an arc that I didn't think some of the other characters had--which was he started as one person and finished up as another.

From madmandan: How did you handle the "instant celebrity" status from Star Wars? It's become a huge trivia generator.
It's like when anything crazy happens--you instantly try to reassure yourself that nothing about you has changed. I approached it like an acting job--I was playing the role of a famous person.

From sneaker4: What led you to become involved in the field of computer games?
I was doing animation voice-overs. In fact, when I went out for Wing Commander, I thought it was going to be animation. What really surprised me was the incredible success of the CD-ROM. Wing Commander had a $12 million opening day. I thought, "Gee, if I had done movies like this, I'd have a career."

From banodyne: Have you been approached about doing another Wing Commander?
Yes, I've tentatively been approached to do another one, because the first two did well over $100 million, but like I said with the second one, "Show me the script." I wouldn't have done the second one if it wasn't as good as it was. It really wasn't a rehash of the first one--it stood on its own and was much more political intrigue than space combat.

From cagkty: Do you know of any plans to bring the WC saga to the screen?
The movie version is in the planning stages, and, ironically, they go back 20 years so that my character would be just getting out of the academy. I have this knack for picking franchises that go back in time. Even with a talented makeup artist and great lighting, I don't think I could play 20 anymore, unless we're in a galaxy where you age backwards.

From skaboy: Which actress was more of a pleasure to work with, the beautiful Carrie Fisher or the alluring Ginger Lynn Allen?
It's apples and oranges--no pun intended. They are each unique, and I loved working with them both.

From dingo2: Do you think casting directors have unfairly typecast you as a result of Luke Skywalker?
I don't know. It's hard to speak with confidence about that, because I can't really say what casting directors are thinking. I do know that, from the Elephant Man to the sleazy producer in Room Service to Mozart in Amadeus, I've found very diverse and unique roles mostly onstage. Some of my favorite projects were not commercially successful.

From sluggrrl: What was the most difficult aspect, on or offscreen, of playing Luke?
I would say the second film, because there was an incredible amount of training--martial arts, kendo and karate. It was less acting than it was being sort of tortured for eight hours a day. The way they created the carbon freezing chamber look was with steam, so you're pouring with sweat fighting all day, and they're yelling, 'More steam.' It was like a sauna bed.

From cinny: What was Luke eating when he first met Yoda? To me, it looked like a dehydrated cheese log?
It was some kind of space-food stick. I don't really even remember, but I think they came in caramel and chocolate.

From sirgenesis: I heard that George Lucas made Darth Vader tell you that Obi-Wan was your father when they were filming, because he didn't want the press to know that Darth was really your father. Is this true?
Yes. It was a fake dialogue, so no one would leak the twist ending before people had a chance to see the movie.

From fairchild: I know you are one of the few celebs to actually welcome Stuttering John's insane line of questioning. What do you think about him and Howard Stern?
I think the Howard Stern people have totally energized talk radio. It's totally original, but it's not for everyone. Some people find it mean-spirited, and maybe it is in a way. It's always funny when they're making fun of anyone except you. Howard Stern can just talk and be funny like that guy in high school. He's a verbal bully. I mean, a little bit goes a long way, but he's certainly made me laugh.

From arjs: How did you get so interested in the O.J. Simpson case?
I originally went down to observe the trial because my screenplay (now the graphic novel The Black Pearl) deals with a sensationalistic case. One of the leading characters is a court reporter who is a demoralized soul having observed the perversion of the justice system by compromise, plea bargains, etc. It seemed to me that the O.J. case had all the particular elements to do [my] homework.

From jers: How has the Simpson trial affected you?
It's just appalling, and it doesn't matter whether you think he is guilty or innocent. I've confessed to two murders on the stand [as an actor], so anytime actors get a chance to observe real life, it's always interesting. I was also as interested in the Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill hearings, and I'm also old enough to remember Watergate. Anytime they televise something official, I watch. I love C-SPAN, and I'm not afraid to admit it. I like real life almost better than "reel" life.

From enut: If you could meet anyone living or dead who was one of the greatest influences in your life, who would it be and why?
There's just too many people. I've thought of everyone from Mark Twain to Stan Laurel and everyone in between.

From stoned: What's your favorite movie?
Impossible to narrow down, but the ones that immediately leap to mind are The Manchurian Candidate, A Hard Day's Night and the Marx Brothers' Duck Soup. This year, my favorite movie is Fargo. I also like Psycho and Snow White, though. I have eclectic taste, I guess.

From annie_b: Are there any new episodes of Batman: the Animated Series?
Actually, I am in the middle of a three-parter right now, which is a Superman/Batman team-up called World's Finest. And, of course, with Batman and Superman, you need Lex Luther and the Joker. I get ahold of kryptonite and plan to kill Superman.

From anne_kark: Is there going to be a film version of The Black Pearl?
That's what I'm working on right now. It was a screenplay, but it was turned into a comic book first, and now hopefully, it will go as a feature.

From contae: Is it true that you were originally cast in the ABC series Eight Is Enough?
There was a pilot made, and then they made many changes. I think there were a half dozen changes, including the director. It was a very different show then. It was a drama, not a comedy.

From heavenhell: Corvette Summer is the favorite Mark Hamill movie among all my friends. Have you ever lost anything that you couldn't get back like that?
Yes, as a matter of fact. There's a guy by the name of Bill Malloy, and I had him take all my board games, toys and puppets--upwards of a hundred items--for safe keeping when I went to do Star Wars. Then he moved. But I'm not mad at him, and I'm gonna put my head down on my desk. I just want them returned.