Starring in one of the most popular movie franchises of all time doesn’t exactly lead to a life of anonymity, but fortunately, there are sneaky ways around this.
Mark Hamill – Luke Skywalker himself – caused a flurry of excitement after it was discovered he’d been marching around in full Stormtrooper get-up – without anyone knowing.
Fans had even posed for pictures with the 66-year-old Star Wars actor, completely oblivious to who was really inside the shiny white suit.
I mean, can you even imagine the dangerous levels of excitement such a reveal would spark? The force would be overpowering…
In a coy photograph he uploaded to Instagram after the event, Mark could be seen peering mischievously over the top of a newspaper bearing the headline, ‘Where Is Luke?’
Where indeed…
Teasing fans with the rumour of his undercover mission, Mark wrote the following cheeky caption:
There’s an unsubstantiated rumor I’m at #SDCC right now wearing a mask to avoid being recognized (I’m not) – But if I really WAS there in disguise, would I lie about it to fool people – secretly talk to fans – attend panels & have fun? (I would). [sic]
Mark continued to spread suspicions by sharing another pic of him getting into a classic Stormtrooper costume.
Although he insisted he was – famously – too short to really wear the costume, fans were still excited by the delightfully fan-boyish wish-list caption:
Don’t arouse any suspicions it’s me because I’m too short for this costume B) Find that ultra-rare comic book I need to complete my collection C) Get @NathanHamill’s autograph (if I can find Booth #1415) D) Find the perfect nacho.
The nacho connoisseur then proceeded to share images of the four masks he intended to wear for each day of the event, urging fans to look out for him and say hi:
Would I lie about being in disguise at #SDCC? Sorry- I misspoke & said I “would” instead of “wouldn’t” FUN FACT: I’M HERE RIGHT NOW!! [sic]
Here are the 4 masks I’ll be wearing (1 for each day) so be on HIGH ALERT & please say hello when you see me! [sic]
Brush up on your own Star Wars knowledge below, just in case Mark surprises you:
A mother, by the name of Dawn Stark, couldn’t handle the anticipation any longer. She was desperate to know whether or not she’d accidentally snapped a picture of her daughter with the IRL Luke Skywalker.
Tweeting to Mark, Dawn begged:
@HamillHimself we heard you were @Comic_Con yesterday dressed as a storm trooper. [sic]
My daughter is dying to know if she got a picture with you yesterday! Pls tell us if this is you! [sic]
Much to the delight of fans, Mark confirmed this was indeed him, replying:
YES- That would be me on the left. (You know, the vertically-challenged Stormtrooper.)
And this wasn’t the only costume which concealed Mark’s famous face.
The Jedi was also reported to have spent time as ‘Orange Vader,’ a golf-playing, wig-wearing character who bore a striking resemblance to a certain US president, but Mark later admitted this was a joke.
Mark also headed to the Brooklyn Nine-Nine panel in full cosplay, proudly displaying his fandom for the beloved police sit-com with a NYPD jacket.
Amazing. I personally love how much of a true Star Wars fan Mark Hamill is after all these years. What a super trooper!
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.