What's "off" in this publicity tour photo of Mark, Carrie, and Harrison?

[blewis17]

This pic has been floating around the inter-webs for years. It's always identified as Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford. Most likely all together in casual clothing because they are on a publicity tour (I believe this was between ANH and TESB).

But Mark looks "off" somehow here. In fact, I originally didn't think it was him at all, but some other actor. But is HAS to be Mark given the context, right?

...now compare to these other photos of the famous 3...

 

[dascoyne]

First photo he looks like Michael York.

 

[Cappy]

He did get into an accident while filming Corvette Summer. IIRC. Maybe he is still recuperating
and swollen?.

 

[eethan]

He looks like Viggo Mortensen to me for some reason!

 

[blewis17]

When I first saw this photo, I thought it was Shaun Cassidy. No joke.

 

[Cephus]

Keep in mind that he had a bad car accident in 1977 that altered his appearance slightly. The Mark Hamill that we're used to today is not the same one that was in the original Star Wars.

 

[Strikerkc]

I think it's just the lighting screwing with our heads.

Mark is in a stark white shirt, in front of a mostly dark background (that sandwich machine is pitch black), then part of his face is over "lighter" background. Ford and Fisher are both in darker clothing, and you can see the light "reflecting" off ford's shoulders and sleeves, and off of fisher's hair and knees. Mark being in the white shirt, there's no such "glow" along his shoulders or sleeves.

Ford and Fisher being "dark" on a "medium" background, makes them look like they're in the same place at the same time, then Mark being "bright" over a VERY dark background makes him look like his picture was cut out of another shot and pasted in.

I think we're also mostly used to seeing Mark straight on; he was the mainest character of the main characters, he was usually pointed right at a camera while he talked. same for publicity pics.

In the other shots, all three are dressed more similarly, or there's enough other natural shadows to make them look uniformly lighted.

my take anyways.

 

[anamorphicWayne]

Plus he has a clef on his chin as Cassidy and York does not. Yeah, it's most likely the photo was taken before or during his recovering.

 

[batguy]

Hamill's face accident might have increased the symmetry differences between right/left. That would probably give him more variation in his photos.

Swelling from an accident & surgeries is a thing. Most of it would go down quickly but it's gonna be an exponential decline. It might not be 100% gone until a year later.

Also, actors have to maintain very thin body weights to look photogenic. A weight gain of even 5-10 pounds can show in their face. It's normal for actors to fatten up a little bit in the "off season" and then lean out again when it's time to shoot another movie.

 

[Ron]

He did get into an accident while filming Corvette Summer. IIRC. Maybe he is still recuperating
and swollen?.

This is my thought as well. His face is noticeably swollen here around the lips and nose.

 

[batguy]

It wasn't during 'Corvette Summer'. IIRC it was right after ANH debuted in theaters. He was driving too fast in the hills north of LA and he rolled his car.

I remember reading an article where the interviewer mentioned that you can still see scarring on Mark's face if you meet him in person. It's not obvious in the movies because of makeup work.

 

[Ron]

The accident happened on Jan 11, 1977. Here's a quote from Mark about it:

"What happened was that I was on the wrong freeway... I was way out in the sticks somewhere and there were no cars and no traffic, thank God. I was going about 65-70 mph... I was speeding, going too fast... and what happened, I think, was that I tried to negotiate an off-ramp and lost control, tumbled over, and went off the road. I fractured my nose and my cheek."

I wanna say he was driving a BMW. That's neither here nor there but I remember hearing that one time.

Apparently he still had pickup shots to do which George used body doubles for. I'm not sure which scenes though.

 

[batguy]

January? For some reason I thought it was like May/June.

I wanna say the pickup shots (or at least some of them) were driving the landspeeder in the desert.

 

[Treadwell]

I have read before that he was on the way to one of those very pickup shoots (in Death Valley) when it happened.
I also recall him really downplaying it in a STARLOG interview, something like "my exit came up and I was four lanes over, turned too sharp, flipped the car and broke my nose".

 

[Captain Dunsel]

I have heard different versions regarding how severe Hamill’s injuries were….from merely breaking his nose to smashing in his face and having to have cartilage from his ear used to reconstruct his nose.

How dramatic were his injuries?

BTW, I’m assuming that explains his bizarre, “heavily made-up” appearance in the Holiday Special.

 

[scarf man]

Put your finger over Mark’s forehead, it’s the hair. We usually see Mark in this era with a swooping bang down to his brow.

While you’re at it don’t forget to put your finger over Carrie’s nip in the last pick of the op, you can then remove your finger I wont tell.

 

[dascoyne]

Plus he has a clef on his chin as Cassidy and York does not.

Maybe, but it's Michael York's nose all day.

 

[JediMichael]

I have heard different versions how severe Hamill’s injuries were….from merely breaking his nose to smashing in his face and having to have cartilage from his ear used to reconstruct his nose.

How dramatic were his injuries?

View attachment 1699465

BTW, I’m assuming that explains his bizarre, “heavily made-up” appearance in the Holiday Special.

View attachment 1699466

I REALLY hope thats the reason for the heavy makeup....of course, as far as I've heard, his eyes weren't damaged, yet they made them pop out like hes being squeezed to death.
That hair sure isn't helping much either.

 

[anamorphicWayne]

Maybe, but it's Michael York's nose all day.

Still, what reason does York need to be on a PR tour with Harrison and Carrie? Star Wars wasn't his movie.

 

[Jaitea]

It just looks like Mark to me, sorry

J