Star Wars actor Mark Hamill has taken to social media to express his admiration for Stephen King—and called the author out for not following him back online.
The two men were seated next to each other in the audience of The Life of Chuck film screening at the Toronto International Film Festival. The drama is an adaptation of the King novella published in the 2020 collection If It Bleeds. Tom Hiddleston plays Charles "Chuck" Krantz alongside co-stars Hamill, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan and Jacob Tremblay.
King took to X (formerly Twitter) to say the film is "sad, has a touch of the paranormal, but it's also joyful and life-affirming." Hamill used this opportunity to share the critically acclaimed author's post and add a photo of the two men together in the audience.
In the snap, King is looking ahead while holding his phone as Hamill uses his two pointer fingers to excitedly point at the author while looking at the camera. Newsweek emailed spokespeople for Hamill and King for comment on Monday.
"It's not often I'm seated next to a literary genius & one of my all-time favorite authors: @StephenKing," Hamill captioned the image.
"It took every ounce of discipline I possess to avoid freaking out & exposing myself as the weak-kneed, slavish fan-boy I truly am."
At the time of writing, the post had been viewed 4.1 million times.
King responded by resharing Hamill's post and writing: "Right back atcha, Mr. Hamil!"
This post has only gone viral, having been viewed 2.3 million times at the time of writing.
Hamill couldn't help but respond, sharing his excitement over King's post.
"FRAMING THIS TWEET Mr. @StephenKing *," he said. "*(even though you're still not following me)."
This post also went viral, having been viewed 472,600 times at the time of writing.
The two men aren't too dissimilar. As well as both being in the entertainment industry, the actor and the author often take X to share their social and political opinions over the years. Hamill and King have long been critical of former President Donald Trump and are both actively supporting Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
Newsweek emailed a spokesperson for Trump for comment on Monday.
Hamill was one of many who criticized Trump for giving a thumbs-up while posing at the grave sites of fallen veterans.
Trump visited Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia on August 28 to commemorate the anniversary of the deaths of 13 U.S. service members killed in the Abbey Gate bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2021. Around 170 Afghans were killed in the attack.
He met with families of the deceased service members who died when a suicide bomber detonated explosives outside Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport. But in some photos, including at the graves of U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Nicole Leeann Gee and Staff Sergeant Darin Taylor Hoover, Trump posed with their families while smiling and giving a thumbs-up.
Many people were unhappy with his visit to the cemetery and his choice of pose, including Hamill.
"Nothing to see here. Just the tone-deaf draft dodger gleefully giving a thumbs-up at the graves of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. #WeirdandSAD," Hamill wrote on X.
Hamill was referring to criticism Trump has faced for allegedly avoiding the draft in the Vietnam War by saying he had medical deferment due to bone spurs in his heels. However, the daughters of the podiatrist who diagnosed Trump at the time said their father had done so as a favor to Trump's father, Fred Trump.
King previously mocked voters who believe that Trump can be trusted with safeguarding the U.S. economy. He compared Trump voters trusting the ex-president on the economy to trusting the driving skills of a drunken teenager in a post to X.
"Voters saying they trust Trump with the economy is like saying you trust a drunk 17-year-old in a Corvette to drive you home safe," King wrote.
In a previous statement to Newsweek, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said the following: "Stephen King is a dumbass."
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