Mark Hamill is joining the fight against Russia’s “evil empire” by returning to his Star Wars origins.
Since Vladimir Putin’s forces invaded Ukraine one year ago today, the Luke Skywalker star has vocally backed Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Mark, 71, was previously appointed as the Ambassador for the Army of Drones, becoming the first ambassador to gather donations for drones used by Ukraine’s army in its struggle against the mighty Russia.
Now, the actor is leveraging his celebrity to raise funds to purchase ten additional X-wing drones, which cost a whopping $150,000 (£124,500) each.
Mark said on Good Morning Britain on Friday that he had hand-signed Star Wars-inspired posters that would be available through a combination of an auction and a raffle.
The celebrity hasn’t visited a convention or signed memorabilia since 2017, making the opportunity to purchase an autographed poster even more valuable.
And, raving about the poster’s design, he compared it to a battle between David and Goliath, which is precisely what the Ukraine-Russia conflict is.
‘The X-Wing is Ukraine against this massive armada of a fully weaponised death machine. It’s extraordinary, the David and Goliath aspect of this has been astonishing.
‘Everyone said they were expected to be overrun in four days… and you see this heroic response, the resolve and the resolute spirit of the Ukrainian people has been just inspirational. And the president himself, who could have guessed that he could have risen to the occasion as he has.’
‘Freedom is worth fighting for, as long as it takes,’ the actor concluded, quoting his own US President Joe Biden.
Star Wars enthusiast Ben virtually jumped to inform Mark that he and his wife had one of the posters hanging at home and referred to it as “the most remarkable poster.”
When asked if Zelensky is a fan of Star Wars, Mark recalled how, during a meeting with him, he had described Russia as the “evil empire,” and while he wasn’t sure if it was “specifically referring to Star Wars,” he described the films as a ‘relentlessly optimistic… fairytale’ that “resonates in every culture.”
Fans may learn more about the possibility to obtain a poster by visiting the website U24.gov.ua or searching his Twitter account.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV and ITVX