Mark Hamill on Skywalker: ‘If you think Luke is gay, of course he is’
Ever since The Force Awakens opened up the palette of Star Wars in terms of racial diversity, the conversation has now moved onto the matter of sexual identity. ‘I would love it,’ said JJ Abrams in a recent interview on the question of including an openly gay character in the future of Star Wars. ‘To me, the fun of Star Wars is the glory of possibility.’ Seems like JJ Abrams may have already gotten his wish: speaking with the Sun, Mark Hamill said that his own character, Luke Skywalker, could very well have been gay all along.
‘Fans are writing and ask all all these questions, “I’m bullied in school… I’m afraid to come out”,’ he says, ‘They say to me, “Could Luke be gay?” I’d say it is meant to be interpreted by the viewer. If you think Luke is gay, of course he is. You should not be ashamed of it. Judge Luke by his character, not by who he loves.’ He also further addressed this possibility on Twitter:
Wouldn’t it be terrific if Luke had been gay all along? Of course, the most important thing here is Hamill’s insistence on the viewer’s individual perception: since Skywalker’s sexuality is never truly addressed, it leaves the notion wide open. Now the question is: will we see an openly gay character in Star Wars: Episode VIII?