The White House kicked off the daily press briefing with an appearance by “Star Wars” actor Mark Hamill.
Though a treat for the star-struck Washington press corps, Mr. Hamill and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre struggled to explain why he was there other than for “fun.”
During the surprise visit to the briefing, Mr. Hamill said he spent time earlier in the day meeting with President Biden. He quipped that he dubbed the president “Joe-B-Wan Kenobi,” a play on the name of Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi in the “Star Wars” franchise.
The appearance came one day before May the 4th, an informal day to commemorate the “Star Wars” franchise. It is a play on the movie’s catchphrase, “May the Force be with you.”
The actor, best known for playing Luke Skywalker, is a staunch supporter of Mr. Biden and a frequent critic of former President Donald Trump.
“I want to say, once again, how grateful I am, and that just shows you that one person can be so influential and so positive in our lives,” he said of the president.
After Mr. Hamill spent a few minutes expressing his admiration for Mr. Biden, the 72-year-old actor said he would not take questions and didn’t want to talk about “Star Wars.”
He also refused to say if he discussed “Star Wars” with Mr. Biden.
When reporters questioned the purpose of Mr. Hamill’s visit, Ms. Jean-Pierre said: “He was meeting — did you not like having him here?”
“They had a meeting about what the president has been able to do on behalf of the American people. Mark Hamill was in town. They met,” she said. “We thought it would be fun for him to come out and lighten up the mood in here on a Friday.”
She added, “I wouldn’t put too much into it.”