IGN: The past two weeks, have you been able to just sit back, smile and enjoy how much speculation people can have about an 88 second trailer?
Hamill: Oh my gosh. You know, I’ll tell you, the most moving aspect of them releasing that trailer was watching a [video] of other people watching it. My daughter put it on for me. It was all these people watching the trailer. Sometimes you get sort of isolated and disconnected because I don’t really follow it as closely as, say, [my son] Nathan does, but to see those people that thrilled, it was moving to me. I actually got a lump in my throat watching that. To see so many people that happy was a thrill. And it’s hard to believe it’s a whole year away that we have to wait but I’m practicing my phrase, “You have to wait and see.” They asked me not to talk about it and I agreed but it’s hard. People want to know!
IGN: [Laughs] Yeah, I know better than to ask you any story questions for that reason.
Hamill: I’m not allowed. I sure wish I could, but it’s one of those things. To tell you the truth, I’m one of those people that… I like being surprised. I don’t want to read spoilers and I hate it when I go see a trailer and you see this thing and you go, “Gee, that’s pretty much the whole movie.” They set up the premise, they show the conflict, they show partial resolution. The only thing they don’t show is the end credits. Where’s the thrill in that? I would love it -- I mean for two and a half years, my dad was in the Navy so my last two years in high school were in Japan and those two years, you saw movies completely cold. In other words, there was a sheet that came out that listed all the movies but it would say “Bonnie and Clyde, 98 minutes, color, crime melodrama.” That’s all you saw, for every movie that came out in those two and a half years. I’m telling you, I would walk in and see The Producers completely cold. I know it’s Mel Brooks so I’m sure it’s a comedy but I don’t know anything about it other than Zero Mostel’s in it and Gene WIlder. So you couldn’t have been more surprised.
I’ve never had a pure movie-going experience since like that, because you always know in advance, especially if you’re in this business, what it’s about. You may have even read the script. You know so much about it it’s hard to be surprised anymore. I just don’t understand the motivation for people wanting to ruin it for people but that’s the world we’re living in. It’s based on clicks on websites to see if they can get information out there. I’ll be surprised if they don’t leak the whole script between now and next year. But I hope not!
IGN: With the trailer focusing on the new cast, like Daisy [Ridley] and John [Boyega], are you just thinking, “Wait until you see what they’re in store for?”, having gone through all this before?
Hamill: I know! I felt that the minute I met all of them. They’re all wonderful actors. I think they’ve done such a great job of not only the characters themselves, but the people they’ve picked to play them. John Boyega is just wonderful and Daisy, I just think the world of and Adam Driver and Oscar Isaac and Andy Serkis. They’re just… Like I say, this is in very, very good hands. I’m vicariously very proud of them even though I have no justification for being able to be proud!
