“How many of you had ‘Mark Hamill will lead the press briefing’ on your bingo cards?” the Star Wars icon joked as he took the podium at the White House. “Yeah, me either.”
It’s not such a far-fetched idea, however, when once considers the date. It’s May 3, the last weekday before that sacred Star Wars holiday, May the Fourth. Also, anyone who follows the quick-witted Hamill on social media knows he’s a staunch Democrat.
For his support, Hamill got to meet with Biden before the press briefing and, while Hamill noted that he had visited the White House during the terms of both Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama, “I never was invited into the Oval Office.”
Sounds like he finally checked that one off his bucket list.
“I only expected to be there for, like, five minutes,” Hamill said of his meeting with Biden, “[but] he showed us all these photographs…It was really amazing to me.”
What’s more, Hamill entered the briefing room wearing aviators that he said President Biden had just gifted him — Biden has made a habit of gifting his signature “Dark Brandon” glasses to visiting celebrities, including Chris Evans.
“I love the merch,” said an appreciative Hamill.
The actor, it turns out, gave something to the president, as well.
“I asked him what I should call him,” recalled Hamill, “and he said, ‘You can call me Joe.’ I said, ‘Can I call you Joe-B-Wan Kenobi?’ He liked that.”