Movie icon Mark Hamill was involved in a terrible car accident in 1977 which he feared would derail his career. Here's the full story.

Mark Hamill's car accident happened in 1977, and it had a notable impact on the actor. Hamill even thought that he would have to quit acting because of the accident. Obviously, this wasn't the case. Following the traumatic event, Star Wars' Mark Hamill has since built a career as a legend of the sci-fi and superhero genres. However, astute fans notice the slight change in his facial features, especially between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back.

Mark Hamill's accident actually happened after Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope had wrapped, but before the film's theatrical release. Due to this, the news didn't make much of a headline and didn't reach that many people, as it happened prior to Hamill's breakthrough role as Luke Skywalker. More than 40 years later, with Luke returning for the live-action Ahsoka series — and still being a crucial part of ongoing Star Wars stories — it's hard to imagine how a single incident nearly derailed Mark Hamill's rising early career. Here's Mark Hamill's car accident explained.

Mark Hamill's Car Accident Happened Early In His Career

Before both Mark Hamill's car accident and his breakthrough playing Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars: A New Hope, the future sci-fi legend had an eclectic range of credits to his name. Throughout the '70s, Hamill appeared in many episodes of the long-running soap opera General Hospital, did voice-over on The New Scooby-Doo Movies, and appeared in the pilot for Eight Is Enough. In 1977, expectations for George Lucas' space opera were low when it debuted, but it became both a gigantic smash hit and a cultural landmark. Hamill returned for two sequels in the years that followed. One thing that's often remarked on is how Mark Hamill's looks changed between the original Western-inspired Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, which was released three years later in 1980.

Hamill had appeared somewhat more fresh-faced in the first entry, and while Luke doesn't look drastically different in the sequel, he does appear more aged. This, of course, was due to Mark Hamill's car accident in January 1977, which resulted in a fractured nose and cheekbone. Mark Hamill recalled what he could of the accident during a 1978 interview (via Gossip Magazine), stating "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."

Mark Hamill Thought He'd Have To Quit Acting

The star was also concerned about the impact the accident could have on his career, recalling "I just woke up and I was in the hospital and I knew that I had hurt myself very, very, very badly... but I wasn't really sure. And then someone held a mirror up to my face and I just felt that my career was over." Of course, following Mark Hamill's car accident, Star Wars was released and his career continued just fine. Reportedly, Luke being attacked by a Wampa in the opening scenes of The Empire Strikes Back was meant to explain why Luke looked a little different in the sequel, and while there have been conflicting accounts, Hamill has seemingly never commented on it.

Hamill has racked up many great projects in the decades since the car accident, including giving one of the most iconic Joker performances in Batman: The Animated Series and its assorted spin-offs. Mark Hamill is an icon at this stage in his life and career and has reprised Luke Skywalker once again for both the Star Wars sequel trilogy and episodes of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett.

Next: How Mark Hamill Was De-aged For Young Luke Skywalker In Mandalorian