The Star Wars Movie That Almost Killed Mark Hamill (Literally)

"Star Wars" put Mark Hamill on the map, but returning to the iconic role of Luke Skywalker for the "Star Wars" sequel trilogy nearly ended his life.

Many of Luke's scenes are set on Ahch-To and were shot on location at Skelling Michael in Ireland, which became the films' home to porgs and treacherous pathways. In short, it's not the kind of area someone can drive a golf cart around. It was so dangerous that, according to The Times (via The New Zealand Herald), Hamill was nearly a "goner" after slipping on some rocks while getting ready to film a scene for "Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi."

The report indicates the actor was saved by a guide leading him up the mountain. They managed to catch Hamill as the actor lost his footing on the path to the top of the mountain — a path that doesn't even have a handrail. Luckily, while Hamill was ultimately all right, others haven't been as fortunate. Skelling Michael is a popular destination for people who want to trek up the mountainside, but 2009 saw two separate incidents where people slipped and fell to their deaths. "Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back" may have been the most physically grueling "Star Wars" film to shoot, according to Hamill, but it sounds like the sequels came with plenty of challenges on their own.

Around the time of the theatrical release of "The Last Jedi," Mark Hamill spoke about the harshness of climbing Skelling Michael with SFX Magazine (via GamesRadar+). "They had this big mountain climber guide behind me to catch me in case I stumbled and fell," he said. "If I fall off the cliff and die, the insurance would go crazy — let's face it, I'm an investment!"

In the 1970s, Hamill was concerned that a car accident he was in would ruin his career just as it was starting to get going with the impending release of "A New Hope." Fortunately, Luke Skywalker became his most enduring character, but a slip on Skelling Michael could've been a different story entirely. And while Hamill's guide certainly earned their pay that day, working on the sequels wasn't a walk in the park for another one of the actors from the older "Star Wars" generation.

While prepping for "Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens," Harrison Ford was nearly killed while standing next to the Millennium Falcon. The door of the iconic spaceship came down on his hip and ended up breaking several bones in his left leg while dislocating his ankle. They weren't even shooting a scene at the time; the door just dropped. The accident also resulted in director J.J. Abrams hurting his back when he attempted to lift the door off of Ford. Both incidents are reminders of the importance of set safety when doing anything, even if cameras aren't actually rolling.