Mark Hamill said the power lies with President Biden. The actor made a surprise visit to the White House briefing room on Friday and offered the commander in chief a “Star Wars”-inspired nickname.
“How many of you wrote ‘Mark Hamill will lead the press conference’ on your bingo card?” Mr. Hamill, wearing sunglasses, told reporters at the beginning of a White House news conference.
Hamill, known for his role as Luke Skywalker, added: “I was just going to meet the president and he gave me these aviator glasses.”
Asked about his Oval Office visit with Biden, Hamill said, “I called him ‘Mr. Biden.'” president. ‘He said, ‘You can call me Joe.’ ”
“I said, ‘Can I call you Joe-Be-Wan Kenobi?'” Hamill joked. It offers a Biden-esque play on the name of the famous Jedi Master character from the Galaxy series.
Hamill touted Biden’s legislative accomplishments, saying, “I want to say once again how grateful I am. This is a great opportunity for one person to have such an impact on our lives, and in such a positive way.” It just shows you what you can do.”
This is not the first White House visit for the 72-year-old performer, who is a frequent critic of former President Trump.
“It was a real surprise to be invited to the Carter White House and to attend. Then I came to President Obama’s White House, but I was never invited to the Oval Office and it was a huge gathering.”
“So this time was really special,” Hamill said.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
