Original 'Star Wars' Cast: Real-Life Couples Revealed

A long time ago (1977) in a galaxy not so far away (local movie theaters), a seismic shift happened that reshaped the moviegoing experience, merchandise tie-ins, the pop culture world as a whole and most certainly the lives of the people at the center of the original Star Wars trilogy: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford.

And while the Star Wars films made Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo household names, they were joined by Anthony Daniels' C3P0, Kenny Baker's R2D2, Peter Mayhew's Chewbacca, Alec Guinness' Obi-Wan Kenobi and James Earl Jones' voice of Darth Vader. Together, they became movie legends and saw Star Wars spawn two sequels making up the original trilogy, followed by a prequel trilogy and, then, a sequel trilogy. But no matter who joined or departed the series, it was the actors from the original who remain the most beloved for the generation that grew up on their films.

Obviously, we know where the characters' lives went on screen, but what about the cast in their private lives? Who did they fall in love with and marry? Well, the Force has been strong with this bunch, as you'll see in this guide to the real-life couples of Star Wars.

Which real-life couples from these 1970s films do you want to see?

Mark Hamill and Marilou York

Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) has been married to Marilou York since December 17, 1978, and they have three children: Elias, Griffin Tobias and Chelsea Elizabeth. Their love affair has been a strong one, captured nicely by a pair of Instagram posts Mark dedicated to Marilou, the first from 2018: "Today is the perfect day for letting @MarilouHamill know how grateful I am for having her in my life. She makes the ordinary seem extraordinary & I just want to thank her for being my everything." 

And then, this year, he added on her birthday, "Marilou, you are my forever dream & are younger in spirit today than when I first met you." 

This photo was taken at the Seventh Annual FILMEX: LOS Angeles International Film Exposition Opening Night screening party for Sylvester Stallone's F.I.S.T. on April 13, 1978, at the Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, California.

1989

Mark and Marilou attend a premiere on February 11, 1989 in London, England.

2004

The couple arrives for the official premiere of the film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, May 21, 2004, at the 57th Cannes Film Festival in the French Riviera town. The film, which was in competition for the festival's top prize the Palme d'Or, is based on a controversial biography of the Pink Panther star by author Roger Lewis.

2012

Mark Hamill (C) daughter Chelsea Hamill (L) and wife Marilou York attend the Los Angeles premiere of Sushi Girl at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on November 27, 2012 in Hollywood, California.

2024

Marilou York, Mark Hamill, and Chelsea Hamill attend the premiere of The Wild Robot during the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival at Roy Thomson Hall on September 8, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario.

NOTE: Mark Hamill portrayed Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.

Carrie Fisher and Paul Simon

Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia Organa) dated singer Paul Simon from 1977 until 1983, which is when the duo were married. However, their marriage only lasted from August 1983 until July 1984, even though they continued to date for a time following their divorce.

In the recent documentary In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon, the singer reflected on their brief union, "Carrie was much more show business oriented. I went along with that — that's the world that she grew up with; she was used to it. She was used to a lot of press and things like that. It wasn't intimidating or anything. She knew how to manipulate it and make it work for her. She was really good at it, and I wasn't."

He also notes that by the time the duo called it quits, he was emotionally drained. Simon asks rhetorically, "What was I thinking? Certainly not thinking about like, that you actually have to stoop. Marriage is a hard thing to do. Not everything can happen at once, not everything is a media event. All types of mistakes on top of mistakes on top of mistakes. I realized I could exhaust myself from emotional upheaval."

In a separate interview, Fisher for her part acknowledged, "If you look at me, at the most, you can think I'm an interesting girlfriend. But a wife? I think you're going to be disappointed. Poor Paul. He had to put up with a lot with me. I think ultimately I fell into the heading 'good anecdote, bad reality.' I was really good for material, but when it came to day-to-day living, I was a little more than he could take."

Carrie Fisher and Bryan Lourd

Although they never married, Carrie Fisher was in a serious relationship with CAA's Bryan Lourd, which resulted in the birth of their daughter, Billie Lourd. In this photo, they're attending the world premiere after party for the film Connie and Carla in 2004 at Universal Studios Cinema in Universal City, California.

NOTE: Carrie Fisher played Leia Organa in Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and, via archive footage, The Rise of Skywalker.

Harrison Ford and Mary Marquardt

Harrison Ford has been married three times. His first wife was chef Mary Marquardt, who he met in 1964 when they were students at at Ripon College in Wisconsin. They were married in 1964 and had two sons: Benjamin Ford, born in 1967; and Willard Ford, born in 1969. Their marriage lasted until 1979, after Ford had begun achieving greater success as an actor.

In a profile from brandonsrestaurant.com, they offer, "This was a time before the blockbuster hits, when Ford and Marquardt were embarking on their professional journeys with Ford struggling to find his footing in Hollywood and Marquardt nurturing her culinary talents. As Ford's career began its ascent with roles in American Graffiti and, later, in the monumental Star Wars saga, the dynamics of their simple life started to change ... During these years, Marquardt focused on her passion for cooking, though details about her professional endeavors in this domain remain scarce ... The couple's journey together ended in 1979, marking a new chapter for Marquardt. Post-divorce, she continued her life away from the Hollywood spotlight, focusing on her children and culinary passions."

The above photo was taken in June 1977 in New York city. Behind Harrison and Mary are Star Wars director George Lucas and his wife, Marcia

Harrison Ford and Melissa Mathison

The second marriage for Harrison Ford was to screenwriter Melissa Mathison, who he met in 1976 on the set of Apocalypse Now where she was working as an assistant to director Francis Ford Coppola. Becoming a screenwriter, she would go on to earn an Academy Award nomination for Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. The duo was married in 1983 and were together until 2000, when they decided to separate, getting divorced in 2004. Along the way they had two children, Malcolm in 1987 and daughter Georgia in 1990. Melissa passed away in 2015 from neuroendocrine cancer.

Original caption for the photo above: American director, screenwriter and producer Steven Spielberg at home in Los Angeles with actor Harrison Ford and his wife, screenwriter and producer Melissa Mathison.

1990

Harrison Ford and Melissa Mathison during Warner Bros.' Studio Rededication - 1990 at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California.

Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart

Despite there being a 22-year age difference between them, Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart married on June 15, 2010, having met eight years earlier at the Golden Globes. They been happily together ever since, Ford serving as a father figure to the son, Liam, whom Calista adopted in 2001.

As is well known, Ford is not one to express genuine feelings to the media, but in 2003 he did, specifically to People magazine, stating in regards to Flockhart, "I'm in love. Romantic love is one of the most exciting and fulfilling kinds of love and I think there is potential for it at any stage of your life. I was not surprised that I was able to fall in love, and I wasn't surprised that I did."

In this image, Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart arrive at the premiere of CBS Films' Extraordinary Measures held at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre on January 19, 2010 in Hollywood, California.

2018

Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart attend the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 10th annual Governors Awards at The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center on November 18, 2018 in Hollywood, California.

2023

Calista Flockhart and Harrison Ford attend the Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny red carpet during the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 18, 2023 in Cannes, France.

NOTE: Harrison Ford played Han Solo, captain of the Millennium Falcon, in Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker.

Anthony Daniels and Christine Savage

Not much is known about their relationship or marriage, but Anthony Daniels (C3P0) is married to Christine Savage and has been since 1999. In this photo, they attend the Jameson Empire Awards 2016 at The Grosvenor House Hotel on March 20, 2016 in London, England.

NOTE: Anthony Daniels played C3P0 in Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith, The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.

Kenny Baker and Eileen Baker

Kenny Baker (R2D2) was married to actress Eileen Baker from 1970 until her death in 1993. Both of them had dwarfism, but their two children did not. In the photo above, taken in London circa 1977, they're reading an official Star Wars magazine. Kenny died on August 13, 2016.

NOTE: Kenny Baker played R2D2 in Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith and The Force Awakens.

Peter Mayhew and Angie Mayhew

Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), who was born in England, married Texas native Angie Luker in 1999, and became a naturalized citizen of the U.S. in 2005. He portrayed the character of Chewbacca in Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return of the Jedi (1983), Revenge of the Sith (2005) and The Force Awakens (2015), which was his final role. He died of a heart attack on April 30, 2019 at the age of 74.

In the photo above, Peter and Angie are seen with Chewbacca participating in the 2012 WonderCon - Day 2 held at Anaheim Convention Center on March 17, 2012 in Anaheim, California.

NOTE: Peter Mayhew played Chewbacca in Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Revenge of the Sith and The Force Awakens.

Alec Guinness and Merula Salaman

Sir Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan Kenobi) was married to Merula Salaman from June 20, 1938 until his death in 2000, being together for a total of 62 years and becoming the parents of their son, Matthew, in 1940.

This photo was taken in on May 19, 1938 when they were still engaged. They met while both were working for John Gielgud's stage company at the Queen's Theatre in London.

1959

Alec Guinness with his wife Merula and son Matthew Guinness after being knighted at Buckingham Palace, London, February 17th 1959.

1983

Mr. and Mrs. Guinness in the UK, 1983.

NOTE: Sir Alec Guinness played Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

James Earl Jones and Cecilia Hart

James Earl Jones (the voice of Darth Vader) was married twice, first to actress and singer Julienne Marie, who he met while both were working in a stage production of Othello in 1964. They were married from then until 1972. A decade later, in 1982, he married actress Cecilia Hart, who he was with until she passed away from ovarian cancer in 2016. Jones himself died on September 9, 2024 at the age of 93.

NOTE: James Earl Jones voiced Darth Vader (aka Anakin Skywalker after he turns to the dark side) in Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Revenge of the Sith and The Rise of Skywalker. 

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