Mark Hamill’s tribute to Carrie Fisher
Mark Hamill paid tribute to Carrie Fisher at the Tony Awards on Sunday (06.11.17).
The 65-year-old actor introduced the emotional In Memoriam segment at the ceremony at Radio City Music Hall in New York City and made sure to remember his ‘Star Wars’ co-star – who died in December – as he referenced her iconic role of Princess Leia in his speech, which praised the "strength, resilience, and integrity" of those working in theater who have passed away over the last 12 months.
He said: "This past year, we lost many beloved members of our theatrical family. Legends of the stage, artists from behind the scenes, princes of show business, and a princess.
"They inspired a generation of theatre lovers projecting strength, resilience, and integrity.
"We’ll cherish their passion and their expertise that made Broadway what it is today and their indomitable spirit that continues to influence what it strives to become tomorrow."
As well as Carrie and her mother Debbie Reynolds, who passed away just a few days after her daughter, the likes of Gene Wilder, Mary Tyler Moore and writer-and-director Garry Marshall, appeared in the montage.
The movie display was set to a performance of Boyz II Men’s ‘It’s so Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday’, sung by Broadway veterans and former ‘American Idol’ star Justin Guarini.
Earlier in the evening, Mark – who is known for playing Luke Skywalker in the ‘Star Wars’ series – had spoken of how much he "loved" Carrie.
He told People: "Underneath all the bravado and the acerbic remarks and the cutting-edge humour, she was a really vulnerable woman.
"I think she covered up that because vulnerability to her signaled weakness and so she overcompensated for that. In quiet moments she could be a much different person than when she was on — but we loved her on, too."
