Watch Mark Hamill’s Screen Test For STAR WARS

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Not too long ago we learned that back in the ‘70s, Robert Englund (the actor who went on to play Freddy Krueger in the A Nightmare on Elm Street films) played a direct part in Mark Hamill being cast in the original Star Wars. Englund told Hamill, who was sleeping on Englund’s couch at the time, that George Lucas was holding auditions for a space movie and that he may be right for the lead role (read the whole story here). Englund recounted:

"So Mark got on the phone to his agent and I think he went up the next day. He nailed it, and the rest is history."

There’s now a video currently making the rounds that shows Hamill screen testing opposite Harrison Ford, and he's indeed nailing it in this video. As you may or may not know, Ford was simply doing these tests opposite other actors as a favor to Lucas, who directed Ford in American Graffiti. Ford nailed it too, apparently, and the rest is galactic history — history that is about to repeat itself later this year when both actors reprise their roles in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Helping him with his reading is of course Harrison Ford. Mark does a very good job here playing the part naturally and with his own style. At the end you can hear George Lucas tell Harrison he wants him to hang around. We can guess it was to get his input on this new actor's audition.

Thanks to Laughing Squid!