On the heels of Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams declaring that future Star Wars adventures will include gay characters, Luke Skywalker himself, actor Mark Hamill, said that his Jedi hero's sexuality is open to interpretation.

In a chat with The Sun, Hamill said, “I just read online that JJ is very much open to that. In the old days you would get fan mail. ... But now fans are writing and ask all these questions, ‘I’m bullied in school... I’m afraid to come out’."

Hamill continued, "They say to me, ‘Could Luke be gay?’ I’d say it is meant to be interpreted by the viewer. ... If you think Luke is gay, of course he is. You should not be ashamed of it. Judge Luke by his character, not by who he loves.”

Mark Hamill is currently filming Star Wars -- Episode VIII under the direction of Rian Johnson.

The sequel will pick up right at the end of The Force Awakens, and his co-star, Rey's Daisy Ridley, proclaimed that "Luke is so cool in this one."