Star Wars’ Mark Hamill pays tribute to ‘Joe-B-Wan Kenobi’ after White House meeting | Mark Hamill

“You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.” But enough about Washington. Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, who bid farewell to gangsters in a fictional spaceport, arrived in the US capital on Friday to meet with Joe Biden.

Why he was in the Oval Office, and what was talked about, remained a mystery. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Biden was high in the polls, but now he may need additional star power.

The surprise appearance of the man who played Luke Skywalker has excited Star Wars nerds among the White House press staff while leaving non-fans somewhat confused or perplexed.

“How many of you had ‘Mark Hamill will lead the press conference’ on your bingo card-hands?” The actor is wearing a dark suit, blue tie and sunglasses. He asked reporters At the beginning of the press conference. “I want to contact Dr. Whatsapp. I just met the president and he gave me these aviator glasses.

Then Hamill (72 years old) put the glasses in his pocket, jokingly saying: “I like the item.”

Hamill, who Over 5 million followers on XA harsh critic of Biden’s election rival, Donald Trump, he said he was “honored” to be invited to meet “the most legislatively successful president of my lifetime,” and offered a list of Biden’s accomplishments.

“It shows you that just one person can be so influential and positive in our lives,” the actor told reporters, and said he would take questions, “although no Star Wars questions, please.”

Asked about the Oval Office meeting, Hamill said: “I was only expecting to be there for five minutes. He showed us all his pictures.

“It was really amazing to me because I was invited to the Carter White House and I attended. And then I came to the Obama White House, but I was never invited to the Oval Office, and it was a big gathering. So that was really very special.”

In the original blockbuster Star Wars: A New Hope (1977), Hamill played farm boy Luke learning Jedi mind tricks from Obi-Wan Kenobi, an aging Jedi master who has seen better days. On Friday, he appeared to once again take on the role of young intern for the 81-year-old Biden.

“I called him ‘Mr. President.’ He said, ‘You can call me Joe.’ I said, ‘Can I call you Joe-Pi-Wan Kenobi?’ He liked that.

Hamill left the stage to cheers and applause from a few stunned reporters. “May the force be with you,” began the first question from press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. She replied: The force is with you, or tomorrow the fourth is with you, however you want to look at it.

“Let’s hope we’ve cut out the Star Wars jokes for the rest of the briefing,” one journalist said.

Jean-Pierre: “I doubt it. I feel like there is more to come.”

She was then asked why Hamill, who has never held elected office before, was in the Oval Office at all. Weijia Jiang The CBS News reporter pointedly asked: “What was Mark Hamill doing here today?”

“You didn’t like that he was here? … Mark Hamill was in town. They met. I think he was important as someone — you all know Mark Hamill. He’s someone who’s very invested in our country, very invested in the direction of this country,” Jean-Pierre replied with a laugh.

While Jiang admitted to being unfamiliar with the films, Jean-Pierre asked: “Don’t you like Star Wars? Haven’t you watched Star Wars?

“I will do it now!” Jiang promised. Some people in the room also groaned.

Hamill is one of several Hollywood stars that the Biden campaign may seek to deploy ahead of the presidential election that is now six months away. Actor and director Robert De Niro on Thursday spoke out against Trump, urging Biden to “keep fighting” against him and “attack him forcefully.”

Interview conducted by Stephanie Ruhl At eleven o’clock on MSNBC“The man is a monster,” De Niro warned. He is far from wrong. It’s as if he wants to do the most terrible things he can think of in order to get a rise out of us. “I don’t know what it is, but he was doing it and doing it, and it’s very scary.”