Mark Hamill reveals the full story behind bursting a blood vessel in his eye while filming the original Star Wars. The Death Star trash compactor was a shop of horrors for Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Chewbacca. Even before the walls starting closing in to crush them to death, they were being hunted by a mysterious creature. Luke was dragged down beneath the surface and was in jeopardy until the Dianoga let go of him and disappeared.
It's been known for a while that Hamill burst a blood vessel while shooting the sequence, presumably from holding his breath as he went under. The injury forced the crew to film the actor from one side of his face until it healed properly. More than 40 years later, the behind-the-scenes story still fascinates fans, and Hamill has now shared the whole truth about what happened - and it's rather amusing in retrospect.
On Twitter, Hamill was asked about the validity of the burst blood vessel. The actor confessed it was true, as he wanted to give Luke a "strangulated look" following his encounter with the Dianoga. Funnily enough, that commitment to realism wasn't necessary. Check out his post in the space below:
One of the more notable elements of the trash compactor set is the way it was lit, which gave the environment a dark, reddish look. Obviously, audiences were still able to tell what was happening, but due to the reflections, even Han and Leia's faces looked red from certain angles. Understandably, Hamill felt his choice was appropriate at the time (considering what his character was going through), but ultimately viewers couldn't recognize the fruits of his labor. At least now people know what happened that day on set, and hopefully will be able to appreciate the trash compactor sequence on a different level as they rewatch the saga prior to The Rise of Skywalker opening in December.
A notorious prankster, Hamill enjoys using social media to troll Star Wars fans and channel his trademark sense of humor. But sometimes he posts something a little more on the serious side, like when he confirmed the Force killed Luke at the end of The Last Jedi. This tweet, while having a funny edge due to Lucas' comments, falls into that category. It's a cool anecdote that proves even decades after it became a worldwide phenomenon, there are still things to learn about the making of Star Wars. Stories like this are what make Hamill such an entertaining follow online.
Source: Mark Hamill
