Mark Hamill doesn't feel worthy of being described as an icon.
Chelsea Hamill, Mark Hamill and Marilou York
The 66-year-old actor shot to fame as Jedi Master Luke Skywalker in the original 'Star Wars' trilogy and recently reprised his iconic role in the new movies in the franchise, but after receiving the Icon accolade at the Rakuten TV Empire Awards 2018 on Sunday (18.03.18), Mark said he "certainly doesn't feel like one".
He told BANG Showbiz: "I certainly don't feel like one. In fact I was like, 'What does being an icon mean?'
"Because I was trying to prepare some remarks and I looked it up in the dictionary and I was like, 'Oh my god' it means someone who is revered and idolised and the example they gave was Elvis Presley.
"I was like, 'I'm so not worthy, I don't feel like Elvis' but it's really the fans that's have done that and I don't feel like it's for me.
"It's for Luke, it's for the Joker, it's for these wonderful characters that I have been entrusted with but I'm so grateful because it's something I've been wanting to do ever since I was a little kid."
Mark - who was accompanied to the ceremony by his wife Marilou York and their 29-year-old daughter Chelsea - also explained how he knew he wanted to be part of the film industry as soon as he saw 1933 movie 'King Kong' on TV but didn't even dream of being a leading man, as he would have settled for being a caterer or set builder
He said: "I saw 'King Kong' on TV and I was like, 'oh my god' somebody goes to work and their job is it make dinosaurs come to life, I want that job'.
"I didn't know if I wanted to be a performer but I'd read the magazines and I would say, 'Oh I could be a carpenter, or build sets, or I could set scenes, I'm not a bad cook, maybe I could be the caterer'.
"I didn't need to be in the show I wanted to be near the show so I thought, 'Even if I fail or fall flat on my face, I'm going to get up and dust myself off, and find something else to do in that business'. So I'm so grateful that it all worked out for me."
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