Mark Hamill: If you think Luke is gay, of course he is

Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker.

Mark Hamill says his famous Jedi character, Luke Skywalker, could be gay.

The actor, who starred in the original Star Wars trilogy and most recently in the franchise's sequel, The Force Awakens, has come out saying that Skywalker's sexual orientation is open to the viewers interpretations.

Talking to The Sun, Hamill said: "Fans are writing and asking all these questions, 'I'm bullied in school... I'm afraid to come out'. They say to me, 'Could Luke be gay?' I'd say it is meant to be interpreted by the viewer."

Actor Mark Hamill. Photo / AP

He continued saying, "If you think Luke is gay, of course he is. You should not be ashamed of it. Judge Luke by his character, not by who he loves."

Hamill also wrote a message to a fan on Twitter who asked if Skywalker was bisexual.

In his response, Hamill wrote: "His sexuality is never directly addressed in the films, Luke is whatever the audience wants him to be, so you can decide for yourself."

This comes after Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams said earlier this year that "of course" gay characters could be included in the Star Wars universe.

"To me, the fun of Star Wars is the glory of possibility," Abrams said. "So it seems insanely narrow-minded and counter-intuitive to say that there wouldn't be a homosexual character in that world."

As Luke's only on-screen kiss ended up being with his sister, Princess Leia, it's possible that Hamill's character could be gay and that his sexuality will be explored in future films, but for now, it's up to the audience to decide.

- nzherald.co.nz