Mark Hamill reveals wife's response as he asked her to choose Ireland or London after Trump's reelection
WASHINGTON, DC: Mark Hamill nearly packed his bags after Trump’s 2024 win!
The 73-year-old 'Star Wars' legend recently revealed that he seriously considered leaving the US following Donald Trump’s reelection, even asking his wife, Marilou York, to choose between relocating to London or Ireland.
Married since 1978, the couple first met when York, then a dental hygienist, cleaned Hamill’s teeth — and this time, her words were just as impactful. Rather than respond immediately, she later told Hamill she was surprised he’d let Trump drive them out of their own country, a statement that made him reconsider the move altogether.
Mark Hamill recalls talking with his wife about relocating after Trump's win
After the 2024 presidential election, Mark Hamill considered relocating abroad. “I still believe there are more honest, decent people than there are the MAGA crowd,” the 73-year-old 'Star Wars' actor said in an interview with The Times published on Saturday, August 16, referring to the political movement championed by current President Donald Trump.
Hamill, known for being vocal about his political views online, revealed that after Trump’s victory, he told his wife, Marilou York, she had two options: move to London or move to Ireland.
“She’s very clever,” he said. "She didn’t respond right away but a week later she said, ‘I’m surprised you would allow him to force you out of your own country.’ That son of a bitch, I thought. I’m not leaving."
When discussing the current political climate in the United States, Mark Hamill didn’t hold back his frustration. He criticized what he described as the “bullying, incompetence, and the people in power” under Donald Trump’s administration.
Hamill admitted that the only way he’s been able to cope with the state of US politics, without falling into despair, is by viewing it as if it were a “sprawling, over-the-top political novel” rather than accepting it as reality.
He also shared that his deep opposition to America's gun culture nearly led him to turn down a role in the upcoming film adaptation of Stephen King’s dystopian horror novel 'The Long Walk.'
Rosie O'Donnell left US after 2024 presidential election
While Mark Hamill ultimately chose to stay in the US, several other Hollywood A-listers and celebrities have decided to leave the country following the diplomatic unrest surrounding the 2024 presidential election. Among them are Rosie O’Donnell and Ellen DeGeneres.
“We chose Ireland and didn’t really know where to go,” O’Donnell, 63, told Us Weekly earlier this year. She explained that she relocated with her child, who has autism, in response to Donald Trump’s election victory.
“And someone said Dalkey and I found a house online that was in Glengarry. But when the people who were helping us move in went there, there was mold in it,” she added.
O’Donnell also shared her surprise at discovering that DeGeneres had moved abroad for political reasons as well. "I've never really known Ellen to say anything political in her life, so I was surprised to read that she left because of President Trump. Like, that shocked me, actually,” she said. “I’ve been a political person my whole life, for better or worse, it’s just a different way to be in the world."
She continued, “I was very clear about the reason why I was leaving, and I don’t think it came as a surprise to anyone. We’re not really in each other’s worlds, and it’s been kind of awkward but you know what? I wish her the best. I [hope] that she has peace and love in her life and that she is OK.”
O’Donnell added that she harbors no ill will. “I don’t want to fight against another gay woman. It’s not like we’re tenaciously opposed to each other. We’re just very different people. We have had some stuff in the past that we never resolved. And not in any way as, as partners or lovers or anything like that, just as friends and comedians, but I wish her the best. I seriously do. I think that there’s enough room in the world for all of the gay comedians and we all need to stick together.”
She concluded with a powerful message: “Gay people are the next group to be threatened. And the way they attack trans people is absolutely terrifying. If people don’t understand that they’re a vital part of the LGBTQIA+ community, that’s tragic because we protect our own, especially the most vulnerable.”
