Our favorite Star Wars' actors then-and-now: see the stars today

Mark Hamill, 74, was the lead of the original Star Wars films, playing Luke Skywalker, the young Jedi who goes on to save the universe. Mark was 26 when the first film premiered, and has portrayed Luke Skywalker in the sequels and in The Mandalorian, alongside Pedro Pascal.

The renowned actor has had quite a career since Star Wars first hit the big screens, starring in Netflix's The Fall of the House of Usher, and voicing several animated characters, like Fire Lord Ozai in Avatar: The Last Airbender.

But, Mark's personal life is where he can boast the most. In 1978, he married dental hygienist Marilou York. The couple went on to have three children – Nathan Elias, 46, Griffin Tobias, 42, and Chelsea Elizabeth, 37 – who have followed in their dad's footsteps by working in the industry.

The now revered actor, Harrison Ford, was 35 when A New Hope premiered and he starred as Han Solo. The role launched him into stardom. Soon after the original Star Wars trilogy was released, Harrison landed a role in another blockbuster franchise – Indiana Jones.

"At that point in my career, it didn't matter to me that the film would become hugely successful and end up changing movie history. But I was grateful because it changed my life. I had opportunities that extended beyond director George Lucas' and my success in making that film. It gave me freedom and opportunities that I never had imagined I might have," Harrison reflected to The Inquirer in 2023.

In his 62-year-career, Harrison's been nominated for an Academy Award, an Emmy Award, five Golden Globes, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. And he's still acting. The now 83-year-old stars in AppleTV+'s Shrinking.

Outside of film and television, Harrison has been in several relationships. He's been married three times, to Mary Marquardt from 1964 to 1979, Melissa Mathison from 1983 to 2004, and to Calista Flockhart, whom he married in 2010. And Harrison is the father of five children – Ben, 59, Willard, 56, Malcolm, 38, Georgia, 35, and Liam, 25.

While the prequel films, which first premiered in 1999, were not a critical hit, they helped propel Natalie Portman into even more stardom. The actress, who was only 18 when The Phantom Menace premiered, was already well known. She starred in the 1994 action film, Léon: The Professional and romantic comedy Beautiful Girls in 1996.

In the prequel, she starred as Padmé Amidala, Luke Skywalker's mom. And almost 25-years-later, she shared an awkward encounter with King Charles about her role. During her meeting with him in 1999, he asked if she'd been part of the original Star Wars movies.

"I had to explain to him that I was only 18 years old at the time," Natalie explained on Watch What Happens Live. Despite the slightly awkward moment, she described the royal as "very friendly."

These days, Natalie is a bonafide A-lister. In 2011, she won an Oscar for her performance in the horror film Black Swan. Off-screen, Natalie, 44, is an activist for women's rights and his a mom-of-two to Aleph, 14, and Amalia, eight, who she shares with her ex-husband Benjamin Millepied.

There would be no Star Wars without the late Carrie Fisher. The actress, who died unexpectedly from a sudden cardiac arrest on December 27, 2016, starred as Princess Leia – Luke Skywalker's twin – in the original trilogy. Carrie went on to star in The Blues Brothers, When Harry Met Sally…, and Austin Powers. 

Throughout her life, she wrote several semi-autobiographical novels, like Postcards from the Edge, and was respected for sharing publicly about her experiences with bipolar disorder and drug addiction.

Carrie left behind her daughter, Billie Lourd, 33, who she had with her former partner Bryan Lourd. Like her mom, Billie is an actor, recently starring in American Horror Story.

The hero turned villain, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, was played by Canadian actor Hayden Christensen. After acting in Life as a House and on Broadway, the then 21-year-old appeared in the second two prequel films.

Twenty years later, Hayden reprised his role in the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka. Of his return, he said: "It has really been a remarkable journey that I've had with this character. In some ways, each time it's a little bit different. I feel even more connected to Anakin now than ever before. Just because I'm a little bit older and I've lived more, I can understand his struggles with more depth, perhaps."

In 2014, Hayden became a dad when his then partner, fellow actor Rachel Bilson, gave birth to their daughter, Briar Rose. While he and Rachel are no longer together, Hayden is a present dad, recently taking his daughter to a Chicago Cubs game.