I learned that when Eight Is Enough was beginning to film episodes that Mark Hamill originally auditioned to play the character David but when he was offered the role of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars Mark turned down the Eight Is Enough spot to be in Star Wars. As a Star Wars fan I never knew that Mark Hamill was gonna be in Eight Is Enough originally. It sure would've been cute to see Luke Skywalker in Eight Is Enough because Mark Hamill would've been a big sitcom star. Did Mark Hamill ever mention this story in interviews?
Bestie

I certainly never heard this!!!

Mark Hamill played the David character in the pilot episode.

Mark Hamill played the David character in the pilot episode.

So Mark Hamill played David in the Eight Is Enough pilot episode after all? I didn't know that he did. You know Mark Hamill was such a cute star in the 70's he sure had the markings of a TV idol but I think he shined in the role of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars. But had he played the role of David in Eight Is Enough I think as I said in the opening post Mark Hamill would've easily become a big sitcom superstar. I might just have to search for this episode of Eight Is Enough just to see Luke Skywalker act and be cute
Bestie

I happened to see a clip of the pilot episode of Eight Is Enough with Mark Hamill and he was fantastic and they should've kept him in the role of David because Mark was so cute in the role but if it wasn't for Star Wars Mark Hamill would've never been famous for Luke Skywalker. But you had to admit he certainly had the markings of a teen idol in the making. Mom was surprised that Mark Hamill was gonna be in Eight Is Enough but was surprised that he got Star Wars instead
Bestie

Hi, Bestie! Yes I knew he was supposed to play David, but he was not hunky enough so they went with the other guy. I think it was a mistake because the other guy did not even look like the others and was kind of creepy. But that is just my opinion.
DTK

I did get to see the pilot episode of Eight Is Enough just to see Mark Hamill in the David role a few minutes ago and Mark looked so cute and if he would've stayed playing the role of David in Eight Is Enough Mark "as I had mentioned in the opening post of this thread" would've been a teen idol of the 70's. But I can see why he only played David in the pilot episode of Eight Is Enough because if it wasn't for Star Wars and the Luke Skywalker role Mark Hamill would've never been a successful movie actor. How old was Mark when he played David in Eight Is Enough? Was he 19 or 20 when he started playing that role?

Mark Hamill apparently, didn’t like the comedic direction the show was going in and didn’t want to be in a five year contract, so the facial disfigurement that he had sustained from a car crash in January 1977 (supposedly on the night the Eight Is Enough pilot aired) was a good excuse to get off the show. By this point, he'd already finished Star Wars, which was to be released that summer.