One of Hollywood’s most recognizable faces has changed considerably since the days when he was a young actor on the verge of becoming a global sensation — but the story behind that transformation is even more fascinating.Now, 2026 photos show the iconic actor at 75, offering a striking look at how much his appearance has changed since the early days of his career.The actor at the center of this story was only 25 when a frightening accident interrupted his life in early 1977. At the time, he had already completed the leading role that would make him famous, but audiences had not yet seen the movie that would transform him into one of science fiction’s biggest stars.

He had finished filming Star Wars: A New Hope, but the film was still more than four months away from reaching theaters when the accident happened on Jan. 11, 1977. The account of his crash and its aftermath later became closely connected to one of the most enduring mysteries surrounding his Star Wars career.Without the fame that was about to arrive, he was still a relatively unknown actor. He later recalled that he had accidentally ended up on the wrong freeway and was driving through an isolated area where there was little traffic.During an interview, he estimated that he had been traveling between 65 and 70 mph and acknowledged that he had been going too fast. “And what happened, I think, was that I tried to negotiate an off-ramp and lost control, tumbled over, and went off the road. I fractured my nose and my cheek.”