A Star Wars superfan was left with the ultimate piece of memorabilia after Mark Hamill signed his leg.

The actor, who has played Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker since the first film in the saga was launched in 1977, was in Southend to film an episode of Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast.

Fans took to Twitter to post their videos and photos taken with the actor- who is also famous for voicing Batman’s arch-nemesis The Joker in dozens of animated films.

One fan already had a tattoo of Hamill’s character battling his on-screen father Darth Vader, both from home plant Tatooine, in a lightsaber duel from a scene in The Empire Strikes Back.

El Hyams, 34, asked the 65-year-old to sign his leg- then made off at light-speed to get the ink tattooed.

He said:"Mark was so nice. He didn't have to make time for us but he did which is lovely because not everyone would.

"He seemed surprised that I'd want his signature on my leg but for me it's an amazing memory of the time a galaxy far, far away came to my home town."

El said the original tattoo was done by Iain parry at Tanglewood Tattoo Studio and the signature was done by Charlie at Low Tide Tide Tattoos.

He added: "Star Wars is such a huge part of life for not just my generation but the one before and after. To some people it's just a silly film but to me it's always been this beautiful escape and I think we all need that whether it's Star Wars, football music or whatever."

His friend, Georgie Monk, posted online: “My mate El met him at the pier entrance. He got him to sign his leg and got it tattooed straight away.”

Hamill replied with a photo of the tattoo and jokingly said: “I said it before & I’ll say it again: ‘I only know one truth... It’s time for the tattoos..... to END!”

In the films, Skywalker is trained by Obi-Wan Kenobi, who utters the line: “The Force will be with you. Always.”


The star met several lucky fans who gathered to see him as he used an old Jedi mind trick to have security screens moved aside to meet them and pose for pictures.

Among them was Russel Harris, who tweeted: “Met the Last Jedi Mark Hamill in Southend yesterday. So happy!”

He posted the photo on Twitter and said to Hamill: “Your cooking smelled great from outside by the way! Yum.”

Another fan said: “He was a very funny and down to earth guy and was more than happy to have his picture taken with us.

“You wouldn’t have thought that one of the main faces of Star Wars would have been down Southend Pier so it was an honour to have met him.”

Hamill, who briefly appeared at the end of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015, is due to reprise his role as Skywalker when Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits the movie theatres in December.

It is hinted that his character- famous for wielding a blue or green lightsaber- may turn to the Dark Side, like his father. He recently told a magazine: “It’s possible.”

The film also features the late Carrie Fisher’s final scenes as Resistance leader Princess Leia.