‘Star Wars’ Actor Mark Hamill Remembers Carrie Fisher At Tony Awards 2017

Mark Hamill talked about his late “Star Wars” co-star Carrie Fisher while hosting the In Memoriam segment of Sunday night’s Tony Awards 2017.

Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker in the “Star Wars” film series, said that fans of the space franchise will miss Fisher more than ever when the yet-to be-titled “Star Wars: Episode IX” hits theaters on May 24, 2019.

“Usually her timing was exquisite, but among the reasons it’s terrible that she won’t be with us is that she was the pivotal character [in that film],” The Hollywood Reporter quoted him saying. “And I also look at it selfishly: She was just hilarious. Sometimes I wouldn’t want to go out and do certain things to promote [‘The Force Awakens’], but then I’d find out Carrie would be there, and I’d say OK, because then I knew it would be fun.”

READ: Joely Fisher recalls her last meeting with Carrie Fisher

Fisher played the role of Luke Skywalker’s twin sister, Princess Leia, in the “Star Wars” film series. “Star Wars: Episode IX” director Colin Trevorrow told Entertainment Tonight in January 2016 that he was planning to take Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia to “new places” in his film. But Fisher’s sudden death last December obviously changed that.

Four months after Fisher’s death, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy spoke about the role of Princess Leia in “Star Wars: Episode IX” to “Good Morning America”

“We have not read a script yet [for ‘Star Wars: Episode IX’],” Kennedy said in April. “Obviously, when Carrie passed away in December, that was a huge blow for all of us and it caused us to sit with Colin and really rethink where we’re headed with ‘Episode IX.’ Carrie was a significant part of that story — that was something she very much wanted and we very much wanted. But given the circumstances, we would not carry on with that.”

Although Fisher won’t appear in “Star Wars: Episode IX,” Kennedy said that the late actress has a big role and is “absolutely phenomenal” in the upcoming “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” which will open in theaters on Dec. 15.