Mark Hamill spent the weekend celebrating a milestone in the most personal of ways. The Star Wars legend marked daughter Chelsea’s 37th birthday with a heartfelt Instagram tribute that blended family snapshots, childhood memories and one very special keepsake.
In his post the 72‑year‑old actor shared four images that trace Chelsea’s journey from little girl to accomplished adult.
The first picture shows Chelsea today, her bright smile illuminating the car as she poses beside her loyal canine companion.
Dressed casually in a white tee she beams at the camera, her eyes reflecting the same spark that first drew her into the galaxy of her father’s making.
The second image offers a glimpse of the one‑of‑a‑kind action figure Hamill had made to commemorate Chelsea’s cameo in Star Wars Episode VIII – The Last Jedi.
© InstagramPackaged under the name Koo Millham with blaster rifle in hand the figure pays homage to the moment Chelsea joined the Resistance on screen.
Next comes a family portrait straight from the archives. A young Chelsea stands between her parents, Marilou and Mark, as they attend a Hollywood event.
Her short hair frames a proud smile and her father’s arm is draped protectively around her shoulders. It is a scene that looks both timeless and tender.
© InstagramThe final shot returns to the present day with Mark and Chelsea sharing a car ride. Chelsea holds up her finger to meet her father’s in a playful little fist bump. Both wear sunglasses and wide grins. It is a perfect snapshot of their easy‑going rapport.
Under those images Mark wrote simply: “For my favorite daughter who has her own Action‑Figure. Pops.”
© InstagramIt was a small message that captured the special bond between the actor and the daughter who grew up on set.
Chelsea Hamill was born in 1984 to Mark and Marilou York. She was the first of three children, soon joined by brothers Nathan and Griffin.
While her father became synonymous with Luke Skywalker and Jedi heroics, Chelsea charted her own path away from the cameras. She earned a degree in architecture from the University of California at Berkeley before returning to her artistic roots with training at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Her brief appearance in The Last Jedi proved a moment of pride for the Hamill family and delighted fans who recognized her name in the credits. As Resistance pilot Koo Millham she exchanges a few lines before leading an X‑wing squadron into battle. It was enough to cement her place in Star Wars lore and inspire the exclusive action figure her father now holds up in that Instagram photo.
In a 2018 interview he told Entertainment Weekly that watching Chelsea in costume on set was “one of the proudest moments of my life.”
Followers immediately rallied around the post. People magazine cited his tribute and noted that Chelsea’s action figure is already a collector’s gem among Star Wars enthusiasts.
Over the years, Hamill has spoken often about the importance of family. In a 2015 feature with The Guardian he described home life under the roof of his Malibu house as “full of laughter, pets and very ordinary chaos.” He credited Marilou with keeping the children grounded. “She is the real power behind our little Skywalker clan,” he said.
Although Chelsea has chosen a more private life than her father’s public one, she occasionally appears alongside him at conventions and charity events.
In 2019 she joined Mark on stage at a fan expo in London, where they traded jokes about who gave the better autograph. Attendees later told reporters they were struck by how effortlessly she fields questions from fans and shares her own behind‑the‑scenes stories.
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