Mark Hamill beat Kurt Russell to Star Wars role thanks to George Lucas' wife

Mark Hamill has George Lucas' first wife to thank for his role as Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars saga, because she advised the director to cast him.

The actor was asked to recount his Star Wars screen test during a recent interview at the 92nd Street Y in New York and confessed he has since found out that he, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher were up against another trio, led by Kurt Russell, as Lucas was making his final decision about who to cast in the now-iconic sci-fi fantasy movies.

"There were two sets of Princess, Pirate and Farmboy - Harrison, Carrie and me, and the other group of actors, and when George went to London to start filming he hadn't yet chosen and Marcia Lucas later told me, 'I was the one who recommended your group'. So I have to thank Marcia for that," he explained.

Hamill has since seen the audition tapes that featured as extras on a Star Wars DVD and he's amazed he got the role of Skywalker.

"I watched William Katt just oozing with charisma, Kurt Russell, Robby Benson was boyish and young; and they all would've been perfect for Luke. Kurt Russell was even edging toward Hans Solo, which he could've played," he praised. "I don't know why they picked me out of everybody else."

Back in 2017, Russell opened up about missing out on the role of Han Solo.

"I was actually pretty (close), in the final running," the 68-year-old told USA Today, adding that he was also being considered for a starring role in a Western TV show on U.S. network ABC. "I asked George, 'Do you think you're gonna use me?' He said, 'I don't know if I want to put you with him, or those two guys together.' I got to go to work, so I did the western. Clearly, made the right choice."