It’s one of the most iconic scenes in Star Wars history—Luke Skywalker and Han Solo walk down a grand hall inside the Rebel base on Yavin 4, surrounded by a sea of soldiers, as Princess Leia steps forward to award them medals for destroying the Death Star. The music swells, everyone stands tall, and Chewbacca lets out his signature roar. On screen, it’s a perfect ending to A New Hope.
But behind the scenes? Not quite as glorious.
During Star Wars Celebration 2015, Hamill shared a behind-the-scenes moment that’s equal parts hilarious and awkward. He recalled how the British extras playing the Rebel soldiers weren’t exactly treating the scene with the reverence it deserved. As Hamill told the crowd:
“We’re walking down to get our medals and all the guys were lined up. As we’re walking along, they were doing things like ‘Wankers,’ ‘You Yanks’—they were saying insults under their breath.”
Apparently, Harrison Ford wasn’t thrilled about it either. Hamill added:
“Harrison leaned over and said, ‘I’m ready to deck those guys.’”
Things could’ve gotten tense, but Hamill took the diplomatic route. During the lunch break, he went over and spoke directly to the extras. He asked if anyone had even told them what the scene was about—and, as it turned out, they were just confused.
“They said, ‘They don’t tell us nothing.’ And I said, ‘Well, you guys just saved the galaxy. You were the ones who brought the bad guys down.”
Once they understood the context, everything changed.
“So the minute they heard that, all the insults went away. You just have to involve them a little to give them understanding—because everything in the picture is important.”
It’s a great reminder that even one of the most iconic scenes in movie history had some chaotic, very human moments behind the camera. What looked like a moment of galactic honor on-screen was, in reality, a little rough around the edges. But with a bit of communication and some good humor, it became the cinematic magic we know today.
As for those of you who prefer to hear it straight from Mark Hamill himself, here’s the video with the moment already marked for you. In case you missed it, just jump to the 27:30 timestamp and enjoy the story as only Hamill can tell it.
