Mark Hamill lived in San Diego for four years. Why it will always be home to him
San Diego residents came out in full force to honor one of their own.
Mark Hamill, known for portraying Luke Skywalker in “Star Wars” movies and for his voice acting in numerous cartoons, had a street dedicated in his honor Sunday in San Diego, a city where he lived for four years.
Congratulations to @HamillHimself on the unveiling of #MarkHamillDrive in Clairemont, San Diego. pic.twitter.com/kDcWb6hkfu
— Star Wars Stuff (@starwarstuff) July 30, 2017
“I can’t tell you how great it feels to be back in my old neighborhood,” Hamill told The San Diego Union-Tribune. “To say that I am grateful would be an understatement.”
The paper reports that Hamill lived on Castleton Drive in the Clairemont area before his family moved to Virginia. His father was a U.S. Navy captain, so the family moved often.
San Diego City Councilman Chris Cate proclaimed July 30 as Mark Hamill Day and dedicated the street to him. Castleton Drive is now also known as Honorary Mark Hamill Drive.
“Part of me is honored because this community reached out and made me a part of something I’ve wanted for so long – a sense of place,” Hamill told the U-T.
Hamill was born in Oakland, but said the time his family lived in San Diego was the longest of any of his childhood homes.
This story was originally published July 30, 2017 at 7:11 PM with the headline "Mark Hamill lived in San Diego for four years. Why it will always be home to him."