What role did Mark Hamill play on General Hospital? Everything you need to know

General Hospital is the longest-running daytime soap opera in the history of American television, airing since April 1963, set in the fictional town of Port Charles. The soap opera is centered around the lives of the powerful and affluent families of Port Charles, like the Corinthos, Spencers, and Quartermaines.

The long-running daytime soap has boasted appearances from many well-known actors over the years, like Demi Moore, John Stamos, and the late Elizabeth Taylor. One such actor is Mark Hamill, who played Kent Murray on General Hospital, a recurring character who came to Port Charles in 1972. Though Kent was a minor character on General Hospital, it led to Hamill's illustrious career in the industry.

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Everything to know about Mark Hamill and his role in General Hospital

Mark Hamill is a legendary American actor born on September 25, 1951, in Oakland, California. Fascinated by the entertainment industry, Hamill studied drama at Los Angeles City College. In 1970, he made his first appearance as an actor on The Bill Cosby Show.

Before taking on the role of the iconic Luke Skywalker in George Lucas' Star Wars franchise, Hamill landed the role of Kent Murray on the daytime soap opera General Hospital in 1972.

In a 2023 WIRED Autocomplete Interview on YouTube, Hamill shared his experience and his time on the soap opera.

"I wasn't a real fan of soap operas, but everybody there was so nice and it was a great education to learn how to find your light, how to hit your marks," he said.

He further expressed that he had treasured memories of working on General Hospital.

"I was on for nine months, which was perfect. And I still have great memories of working there," he recalled.

Hamill's character, Kent, came to Port Charles with his sister Carol, following the death of their father. He came to live with their paternal aunt, Nurse Jessie Brewer, who was their legal guardian. Kent was a teenager upon his arrival and appeared in only a few episodes over the span of nine months on General Hospital. He was first seen in the soap opera on August 7, 1972, and last on April 30, 1973.

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Other notable projects

In 1977, Mark Hamill became a household name when he landed the role of Luke Skywalker in George Lucas' Star Wars, which also marked the actor's feature film debut. Apart from his iconic role in Star Wars, Hamill has been a part of several other notable projects, like The Sandman, The Life of Chuck, The Fall of the House of Usher, and The Flash, to name a few.

Apart from acting, Hamill has also lent his voice to several animated characters. He has been the voice of the Joker from the DC Universe, Trickster from Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?, and Red Skull from the Marvel Animated Universe, among others.

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About Mark Hill and his wife Marilou York

In December of 1978, the actor got married to Marilou York, whom he met at the dental clinic. Together, they have three children: Nathan, Chelsea, and Griffin. The couple celebrated their 46th wedding anniversary in 2024.

The actor shared a heart-warming post on Instagram on December 18, 2024, and captioned it:

"On This Day in 1978: I married my dental hygienist, Marilou York. She cleaned my teeth & the rest... is history."

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Fans of the daytime soap opera can catch the latest episodes of General Hospital on the ABC Network and Hulu.