USA TODAY International Edition
Mark Hamill honors ‘ space sis’ Carrie Fisher
The ‘ Star Wars’ siblings were just as close off screen
“I know if she were here this morning, she would’ve flipped me the bird, at least twice already.” Mark Hamill
ANAHEIM, CALIF. When Mark Hamill accepted his Disney Legend award at the D23 Expo convention Friday, he couldn’t help but think about how Carrie Fisher would act if she were there with him.
“I know if she were here this morning, she would’ve flipped me the bird, at least twice already,” he joked in front of a crowd of hundreds of Disney fans at Anaheim Convention Center.
Hamill, who was honored with the Disney Legend trophy alongside Fisher, Oprah Winfrey, Stan Lee, Whoopi Goldberg, the late Garry Marshall and others, ended his acceptance speech with a tribute to Princess Leia’s reallife counterpart, who died in December.
“I would love to give my deepest respects to the super- cool space sis I have in Carrie Frances Fisher,” he said. “We were like siblings, the good and the bad. We’d have huge fights, ( saying) ‘ You’re such a phony,’ but we loved each other and what a great thrill it was to come back for The Force Awakens at that time in our lives. There’s a comfort level with each other. We could rely on each other, and there’s a deep respect.”
Backstage, he joked that Fisher’s “timing was impeccable, except in this case, because she deserves to be around for her Emmy nomination ( for Amazon series Catastrophe) and for ( Star Wars) Episode VIII and IX.”
As for Fisher’s role in the upcoming Star Wars films, Hamill said he didn’t know much.
“I can’t cope without her, so God knows what ( Lucasfilm’s) going to do, but I’m sure they’ll find a way to honor her legacy and make her presence felt as strongly as they can in Episode IX.“
Fisher’s daughter, Billie Lourd, couldn’t attend to accept her mother’s trophy ( she’s filming American Horror Story), so Disney CEO Bob Iger read a letter on her behalf.
“As far back as I can remember, my mom and I have been Disney fanatics,” Lourd wrote.
“I was so obsessed with Ariel that I wanted to change my name. We went to Disneyland so much, I realize she may have loved it more than I did. So becoming part of the Disney family was a truly amazing moment for her. She secretly always wanted to be a Disney princess, so getting to be a Disney princess and a Disney legend would’ve been her ultimate dream. Thank you ( and) may the Force be with you always.”