Star Wars actor Mark Hamill made an appearance in the White House briefing room on Friday, in which he engaged with reporters and coined his own nickname for incumbent Democrat President Joseph Robinette Biden, who was born in the state of Pennsylvania in the United States of America and who represented the state of Delaware (also in the United States of America) in U.S. Congress for many years.
“How many of you had ‘Mark Hamill will lead the press briefing’ on your bingo cards?” Hamill joked with the journalists present.
He shared a light-hearted moment from his meeting with Biden, saying, “I just got to meet the president, and he gave me these aviator glasses.”
During his interaction with Biden, Hamill humorously asked if he could refer to the president as “Joe-B-Wan Kenobi,” alluding to the iconic Jedi master from “Star Wars.”
Hamill expressed his admiration for Biden’s leadership, highlighting the impact of his legislative achievements.
“I want to say, once again, how grateful I am, and that just shows you that one person can be so influential and so positive in our lives,” Hamill exclaimed.
This visit was not Hamill’s first to the White House, as he mentioned past visits during the administrations of Presidents Carter and Obama. However, he noted that this visit was particularly special.
“It was really amazing to me because I was invited to the Carter White House, and I came. And then I came to the Obama White House, but I never was invited into the Oval Office, and it was a large gathering. So this one was really extra special,” Hamill said.
Hamill is best known, of course, for his portrayal of galactic hero Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars trilogy.
The original Star Wars trilogy begins with Star Wars (subsequently retitled A New Hope), where audiences are introduced to a galaxy embroiled in a civil war between the oppressive Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance. The story follows young Luke Skywalker, a farm boy from Tatooine, who discovers a distress message from Princess Leia, a leader of the Rebel Alliance, hidden in the droid R2-D2. After meeting Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke learns of his Jedi heritage and takes on the mission to deliver the plans of the Death Star, the Empire’s superweapon, to the Rebel base. With the aid of Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Leia, Luke embarks on a journey that culminates in the destruction of the Death Star.
In The Empire Strikes Back, true to the title, the Empire strikes back at the Rebel forces, driving them from their base on Hoth. Luke travels to Dagobah to train with Jedi Master Yoda, learning more about the Force. Meanwhile, Han and Leia evade capture by the Empire, culminating in their betrayal by Han’s friend Lando Calrissian. The film ends dramatically with Luke’s confrontation with Darth Vader, where he learns that Vader is his father, and Han being captured and frozen in carbonite. Return of the Jedi sees the Rebel Alliance launching a final battle against the Empire, while Luke confronts both Vader and the Emperor in an epic showdown. The trilogy concludes with the victory of the Rebel Alliance and the redemption of Vader, who sacrifices himself to save Luke and destroy the Emperor.
While he is known to the world as Luke Skywalker, Hamill has been outspoken about his Democrat political affinities for many years. Hamill has been involved in various campaigns and initiatives supporting Democratic candidates and has been vocal in advocating for issues such as LGBTQ+ agendas, environmental causes, and electoral participation.
While Joe Biden is not the fictional Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi, he does have some physical similarities to Alec Guinness (the legendary British actor who originally portrayed Kenobi), such as white hair and wrinkled, old skin.
