Canadian actor Hayden Christensen was in his early 20s when he took on the role of the lightsaber-swinging Jedi, Anakin Skywalker -- who trains under the apprenticeship of Obi-Wan Kenobi and fathers twins with Padme Amidala before going to the dark side and becoming Darth Vader  -- in the 2002 sci-fi film "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones" and the 2005 follow-up "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith."

The movie masterpieces were packed with big stars including Ewan McGregor as the young version of the level-headed Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Samuel L. Jackson as the Jedi Councilman with a purple lightsaber, Mace Windu ... and of course Natalie Portman as the Naboo queen and baby mama, Padme Amidala.

Hayden has been making headlines with the announcement of his return to the franchise in 2022.

People sure do love them some Mark Hamill -- even if it just means the guy's name getting mentioned ... by either him or anyone else, which is turning into a viral game of sorts.

The "Star Wars" vet is trending right now ... and it's all because he name-dropped himself in response to a Twitter user suggesting (or daring?) that he could garner well over a thousand "likes" on the platform by merely writing "Mark Hamill." That's how much he's adored.

Welp, he caught wind of her theory ... and decided to put it to the test, which ended up in staggering results -- not to mention others getting in on the fun as well.

Dude quote-tweeted this chick and did exactly what she said ... writing simply, "Mark Hamill." As of right now ... that same tweet is on its way to 100k likes, and over 4k retweets!!!

Sure enough, the Internet took notice ... and wanted to try it out themselves -- almost like a Candyman thing, where if you say his name ... Twitter likes will appear. Some are finding success -- like George Takei, who did the same and has racked up over 4k likes.

Ditto for actor Ken Olin ... who openly wondered if the rule would apply to any Schmo who tried this -- and yes ... his "Mark Hamill" tweet is also taking off, with well over 3k likes.

Of course, normies (AKA, non-blue checkmarks) are having a harder time getting the "like" love on their own timeline ... which just goes to show, a little Twitter notoriety goes a long way. Followers help too ... but it seems this "challenge" is reserved for the bird app elite.

As for the OG poster for this trend ... she's basking in the Hamill glory, especially since he digs her "Star Wars" memes and mega-fandom. He's even commenting on her other tweets.

There's a massive estate in Houston that just hit the market ... and it's out of this world 'cause it's dubbed the Darth Vader house.

The 4-bedroom, 5 bathroom house has 7,040 square feet of living space, which is awesome, but it's the unique front structure that stands out ... thanks to its near-spitting image of the onyx helmet donned by the most famous 'Star Wars' villain.

The house -- yours for a cool $4.3 million -- was built by a surgeon back in the early '90s and "modeled after the mask of Darth Vader."

The home is super sleek ... with laser blue backlighting throughout that may have some people thinking they're inside The Devastator.

The contemporary masterpiece is planted in the prestigious West University neighborhood ... and it's truly fit for a king supervillain, despite a row of skylights near the top of the structure that glistens with natural light.

Got toys? There's space in the 4-car garage too.

Felix Silla, who famously played the mysterious and hairy Cousin Itt on "The Addams Family," is dead after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Felix died Friday afternoon in Las Vegas ... according to Gil Gerard, Felix's co-star on the old NBC series "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century."

Gil says he's sad to see his friend lose his cancer battle, but says he's glad Felix is no longer suffering.

Although we never saw his face on the show ... Felix was extremely well known for playing the mumbling Cousin Itt on the 1960s sitcom. For the young 'uns... he dressed in sunglasses, a bowler hat and a hairpiece covering his entire body. The audience never understood what he was saying, but members of the Addams Family did.

Silla also didn't get any face time as Buck Rogers' robot sidekick Twiki, or as a hang-gliding Ewok in "Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi" ... but folks knew him because he stood barely 4 feet tall and weighed about 70 pounds.

Felix did have at least one famous role where he actually showed his mug ... in 1975 he shaved his head to play the villainous Litvak in "The Maltese Falcon" sequel "The Black Bird."

Born and raised in Italy, Felix moved to the United States way back in 1955 and toured around with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, working for several years as a tumbler and trapeze artist before landing in Hollywood in 1962 as a stuntman.

Felix did stunt work on "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," "Batman Returns," and "Poltergeist," among other films ... and also appeared in the OG "Planet of the Apes" and "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom."

Silla was 84, and is survived by his wife of more than 55 years, Sue, and their children, Bonnie and Michael.

The force ain't with Gina Carano anymore ... but Ben Shapiro sure is!

The former 'Mandalorian' star -- who's on the outs with LucasFilm after sharing an offensive post about Jewish people on Instagram -- announced she's signed a new movie deal with Shapiro's conservative media outlet, "The Daily Wire."

"The Daily Wire is helping make one of my dreams -- to develop and produce my own film -- come true," Carano told Deadine.com.

"I cried out and my prayer was answered. I am sending out a direct message of hope to everyone living in fear of cancellation by the totalitarian mob. I have only just begun using my voice which is now freer than ever before, and I hope it inspires others to do the same."

She adds, "They can’t cancel us if we don’t let them."

Carano -- one of the first female stars in MMA -- had a booming career as an actress after leaving the cage ... booking roles in flicks like "Deadpool" and "Fast & Furious 6."

She's most famously known for playing former Rebel shock trooper Cara Dune in the Disney+ series "The Mandalorian" -- but lost the role when her bosses at LucasFilm caught wind of a post comparing her perceived mistreatment of conservatives in the U.S. to the millions of Jews who were slaughtered in the Holocaust.

Shapiro -- who is Jewish -- says his company "could not be more excited to be working with Gina Carano, an incredible talent dumped by Disney and Lucasfilm for offending the authoritarian Hollywood Left."

"We’re eager to bring Gina’s talent to Americans who love her, and we’re just as eager to show Hollywood that if they want to keep cancelling those who think differently, they’ll just be helping us build the Xwing to take down their Death Star."

Gina Carano -- ex-MMA fighter turned "Mandalorian" star -- has seemingly Instagrammed her way out of the 'Star Wars' universe after posting offensive content about Jewish people on social media.

The 38-year-old -- who's previously posted anti-liberal and anti-COVID mask content on social media -- shared a post comparing her perceived mistreatment of conservatives in the U.S. to the millions of Jews who were slaughtered in the Holocaust. Seriously.

"Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors ... even by children. Because history is edited, most people today don’t realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views," the post read.

The wildly offensive post breathed new life into the #FireGinaCarano movement (which began in 2020 due to other insensitive posts she had made) ... and ultimately caught the attention of her bosses at Lucasfilm.

"Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future," the company said in a statement.

"Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable."

Carano played former Rebel shock trooper Cara Dune in the Disney+ series -- the latest in a series of high-profile action roles for the actress.

She previously had key roles playing tough-guy characters in "Deadpool" and "Kickboxer: Vengeance."

Before storming Hollywood, Carano fought her way to the top of the women's MMA world -- racking up a 7-0 record before getting smashed by Cris Cyborg in 2009.

Jeremy Bulloch, the actor who played Boba Fett in several "Star Wars" films, has died.

Jeremy's death was announced Thursday by Daniel Logan, who played young Boba Fett in 'Attack of The Clones.'

Jeremy played the iconic bounty hunter in the original "Star Wars" trilogy ... he was the man under the famous body armor and helmet, but not the voice you hear in the movies.

As "Star Wars" movie buffs might know, Jeremy also made a couple cameos without his Boba Fett mask -- playing Lieutenant Sheckil in 'The Empire Strikes Back' and Captain Jeremoch Colton in 'Revenge of the Sith.'

The timing is interesting -- there has been a resurgence in popularity of Boba Fett since discussions emerged about him being brought onboard in "The Mandalorian" series, and even rumors of a spinoff series surrounding Boba Fett in the works.

As an original trilogy cast member, Jeremy was beloved by "Star Wars" fans across the globe. He signed autographs and snapped pics at hundreds of tour stops and conventions.

Born and raised in the United Kingdom, Jeremy acted in BBC soap operas, "James Bond" films and TV shows before landing his famous role with "Star Wars."

He lived in London after retiring and is survived by his wife, Maureen, and their 3 sons. Jeremy was 75.

RIP

Noted Trekkie Sen. Cory Booker's praising a 'Star Wars' franchise, but cut him some slack -- his GF, Rosario Dawson, was in "The Mandalorian" ... and he still wants her to beam up to the USS Enterprise.

The U.S. Senator was on Capitol Hill Thursday when we grilled him about Rosario's debut on the hit Disney+ series as Ahsoka Tano. Not shockingly, he said she was phenomenal, but not only in the role.

CB says she was great at keeping set secrets from him while she was shooting -- including a big one about Baby Yoda. Doesn't sound like he's holding a grudge though (smart man) ... because he's already pulling for her to expand her sci-fi range by jumping to a 'Star Trek' project.

Yes, as a Trekkie, Cory's kinda pulling for the home team ... but he explained why Rosario's already set a big precedent that makes doing 'Star Wars' and 'Star Trek' not so far-fetched.

An argument between construction workers led to a shooting at Billie Lourd's home ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... cops responded to a shots fired call at the 'Star Wars' star's L.A. property, where there's currently a bunch of renovations underway.

We're told there was a conflict between 2 workers -- one of whom had been fired -- cops say the fired worker pulled out a rifle.

Our sources say he aimed at the worker, fired at the ground and took off. Nobody was hurt. Billie wasn't home at the time of the incident.

We're told the shooter has not been arrested, but cops are on the hunt.

Regarding all the construction ... Billie now owns the former Bev Hills homes of her late mother, Carrie Fisher, and her late grandmother, Debbie Reynolds -- which were contiguous -- and she's making one massive estate.

The mother-daughter duo lived right next to each other for 15 years before Carrie died in December 2016 and Debbie died the very next day.

Billie's rep tells us, "I can confirm that there was an incident today at the property involving a disgruntled ex-employee of the construction company working at the site, who had an issue with his former employer. The owners were not on site and had nothing to do with the dispute. Nobody was harmed and the situation has since resolved."

Dave Prowse, the actor who played Darth Vader in 'Star Wars,' has died.

Dave's agent, Thomas Bowington, said ..."It’s with great regret and heart-wrenching sadness for us and millions of fans around the world, to announce that our client Dave Prowse MBE has passed away at the age of 85.”

Dave played the iconic villain in the original 'Star Wars' trilogy.

Prowse was born in 1935 in Bristol, England. Before acting, he was immersed in the world of bodybuilding, even competing in Mr. Universe competitions. He was so strong, Jack the Ripper -- that was Dave's stage name -- would shred phone books as a test of strength.

Even in his bodybuilding days, he hung out with famous folks, including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno. He also trained Christopher Reeve for "Superman."

Dave's shining moment was shrouded in costume ... playing Darth Vader in the 'Star Wars' franchise. He was recruited by George Lucas, because he was a well-known bodybuilder and he had seen him in 'Clockwork Orange' and it seemed to fit the vibe. Dave actually auditioned for the roles of both Darth Vader and Chewbacca. Lucas offered him either role.

When asked why Dave chose the role of DV, Dave said, "Everyone remembers the villain." True that.

There was a problem, however -- Dave's British accent. His voice was dubbed over by James Earl Jones in post-production.

He almost instantly became an iconic figure when the first 'Star Wars' hit in 1977.

In addition to 'Star Wars,' Dave appeared in "The Saint," "Doctor Who," "The Beverly Hillbillies," "A Clockwork Orange" and a bunch of horror films.

Dave said back in 2014, “Many people will know me for being the ultimate screen villain, Star Wars’ Darth Vader. But being a “goodie goodie” and heading up the Green Cross Code campaign, helping to save thousands of lives has always been the ultimate honour.”

Dave was married for 57 years to Norma Scammell and had 3 kids. He was 85.

RIP

Darth Vader -- or his head, rather -- was taken away by the dark side yet again, but cops stepped in to save the day ... TMZ has learned. No Jedis required.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... 38-year-old Frank Hebert was arrested Monday night after he allegedly broke into the Bad Robot Productions building in Santa Monica and made off with 'Star Wars' movie memorabilia ... including Darth's helmet.

We're told cops responded to the scene and were told by security personnel that Hebert had been captured on surveillance video illegally entering the building through the rooftop, and casually walked out with a shopping cart full of stuff.

Our sources say cops quickly found a guy pushing a cart down the street not too far away, which we're told was full of 'Star Wars' stuff -- as in, original props used in the actual movies.

Cops say underneath a mountain of 'Star Wars' pillows, there were 2 helmets ... Darth's iconic black one and a Storm Trooper one too. They arrested him, and Hebert was booked for felony non-residential burglary. He posed for this mug shot heading in.

John Boyega isn't part of Disney's rat pack anymore, so he's speaking his mind freely about how he thinks they did him dirty in 'Star Wars' ... and he ain't sugarcoating a thing.

The actor is gracing the October cover of British GQ, and talked to the mag about some lingering gripes over his time playing Finn in the latest 'Star Wars' films. While he says he'll always defend J.J. Abrams -- who directed two of the flicks -- he says the studio itself screwed the pooch and misled both him and the fan base about the Finn character.

John says quite bluntly, "[W]hat I would say to Disney is do not bring out a Black character, market them to be much more important in the franchise than they are, and then have them pushed to the side." He adds "It’s not good. I’ll say it straight up."

We've gotten hints that John wasn't too happy with the way the Mouse House downplayed his character -- as we've seen him squabble with internet trolls about the franchise's direction before -- but now ... we know how he really feels.

He goes on to tell GQ his costars Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver's characters were fully fleshed out, and in the end ... got the biggest storylines (not to mention love interests). John says Daisy and Adam would admit the same, so he's not dropping any bombshell.

"Greetings. Welcome to the Death Star, where our opponent's dreams come to die."

Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis gave a helluva pump-up speech before the first practice at the new Allegiant Stadium on Friday ... introducing the team's state-of-the-art facility and revealing its official 'Star Wars'-themed nickname.

"My father always said that the greatness of the Raiders is in its future. Well today, that future really starts."

Of course, Friday marked the first time the team practiced inside the new stadium ... which, might we add, is really badass.

Davis hit the players with some inspirational words and a number of cliches ... but overall, the guys have to be jacked to get to play in this thing.

The NFL owner said the stadium was "built on the backs of thousands of players coaches, administrators, and fans, who for the past 60 years have proudly worn the Silver and Black ... adding, "This is our field of dreams. This is our house."

"The stadium's personality will be defined by you, so take pride every time you step on this field wearing those famed black jerseys and silver helmets. You are the Raiders. There will be many personal accomplishments out here on this field."

There's more ... it's good stuff!!!

"Someone on this field today will make the first tackle, somebody will score the first touchdown and somebody will make the first interception, but most importantly ... it is what we do as a team."

What sucks is that fans won't be able to experience the epic Death Star until next season (maybe) ... but at least the games are on schedule to happen on location in 2020.

Ewan McGregor and his ex-wife have finally reached the end of their divorce case ... and we've learned the actor is parting ways with half of his royalties from the 'Star Wars' prequels.

According to the divorce judgment, the judge signed off on Ewan and Eve's split of the property from their 22-year marriage ... and they'll be splitting royalties and residuals from the projects Ewan worked on during the marriage. That includes FOUR 'Star Wars' movies, which it's fair to say amounts to a LOT of dough.

To give you some perspective, the 3 prequels each earned between $649 million to more than $1 billion -- although it's unclear if his royalties include back end ... a cut of the box office. Of course, he's also starred in "Angels & Demons," "The Men Who Stare at Goats" and "Moulin Rouge."

According to the docs, Ewan will keep THIRTY vehicles, and Eve gets to keep a $6.62 million L.A. crib ... plus all of her jewelry, some bank accounts, along with a mere 5 vehicles. She'll also get $501,704 in cash to even out the asset split.

Eve will also get base child support of $14,934 per month and base spousal support of $35,868 per month ... plus additional kickers if Ewan earns more money than usual in a given year. The exes are sharing joint legal and physical custody of their 9-year-old daughter, Anouk.

As we first reported ... Ewan filed for divorce back in January 2018.

John Boyega sees what's happening to black people here in the U.S. -- specifically, the killing of George Floyd -- and he has a message to racist white Americans who might also be his fans.

The 'Star Wars' actor went on an epic tirade Wednesday, going IN on "racist white people" who in any way, shape or form tolerate and/or downplay what's happening in our streets ... namely, the killing of unarmed, innocent African-Americans.

You gotta see this for yourself, John's very heated as he calls George Floyd's death part of a continuous cycle that he sees here in the States -- black men being killed by either cops or vigilantes trying to play cops. He says that's enough for him to stay away -- presumably in England, his home country.

John goes on to lay into ANYONE who's a fan -- and who's also a racist -- telling 'em to get off his page, off his timeline and out of his circle ... 'cause he ain't having it.

Interestingly, he also makes it clear that he doesn't care what this rant of his might mean for his career. There's a good reason for that though ... JB says he's "not Hollywood."