Mark Hamill almost turned down his role in dystopian thriller The Long Walk because of his distaste for gun violence.
The actor, 73, who portrayed Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise, is outspoken in his criticism of guns and has previously turned down violent roles that he deemed excessive, such as The Human Centipede 2.
“Gun violence is just one of the worst aspects of American life," he said.
"I remember when they banned the assault weapon under [President Bill] Clinton, and it lapsed under [President] George W. [Bush]. You see the statistics where there's a steep drop in shootings without an AR-15, and then they go right back up when it's allowed again,” he told Entertainment Weekly.
“It’s the Second Amendment, people hunt, but it’s just out of control,” the actor added. “No other country has the tragedies that we have. So, yeah, I hate guns."
Gun violence in the US has been brought back into sharp contrast this week following the assassination of right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk.
The Long Walk is an adaptation of Stephen King’s 1979 novel of the same name. It depicts a dystopian version of the United States where young men are forced to take part in a brutal walking contest, where they must maintain a certain speed or be killed.
Hamill, who plays villain “The Major” in the film, initially chose to turn down the part, calling director Francis Lawrence to explain why. This, though, ended up convincing him to do the part instead.
"I realised this is the exact guy who should do this,” said Hamill.
Lawrence, who chose to build the film around the friendships between the contestants rather than their deaths, told Entertainment Weekly, “Clearly, it’s not about the violence.”
“The real heart and soul of the picture are their experiences under these incredible circumstances,” he added.
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Bafta-winning Hamill is outspoken about his political views, especially since President Donald Trump’s first term in The White House from 2017 until 2021. Hamill reportedly planned to move to the UK or Ireland when Trump was elected for a second time, until his wife convinced him not to.
The Long Walk, which also stars Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Charlie Plummer, is in cinemas now.
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