Despite the fact that Mark Hamill has never gone on after Star Wars to have a stellar Hollywood career (something many people mock him over and use him as the but-end of jokes for), the fact of the matter is that Mark Hamill has consistently been one of the most level headed and down to earth celebrities I’ve ever seen.
No, he hasn’t been in big blockbuster films (aside from Star Wars), but when you look over what the man has actually been doing with himself for the last 20 years, it’s an impressive list of stuff that anyone one of us would wish we could have done. From Broadway, to animated shows, doing his own film, developing his own TV projects… it’s a fascinating list.
Now, the good folks over at Guardian have a great little interview with him that I found fascinating. Here’s an excerpt:
AP: But when it’s all said and done, do you have some pride to have played one of the most famous heroes of all time?
Hamill: You know where it comes from? It’s not so much from the industry … but the 9-year-old kid who looks at you like a cross between Superman and Santa Claus. And you’d have to be a really, really hardened cynic not to be moved by that. Not only that, but just doing the interviews for this animation series, I can’t tell you how many people have said, “I got into the business because of that movie.” … I totally understand that because I remember walking out of “Jason and the Argonauts” (1963) and saying, “I don’t know how they got those skeletons to fight, but someday I want that to be my job.
It really is a nice quick interview. I suggest heading over there to give it a read.
i was wondering will mark hamill star in any more future films or atleast give us a sign hes breathing or alive?
I was 7 when I first idolised Luke Skywalker and the ideas in Star Wars. It sounds dumb but it is a feeling that stays with you as you grow up.
I read a brilliant interview with Mark Hamill years ago (can’t remember where) and when asked if he was bitter because he didn’t have the same measure of success as Harrison Ford etc – he replied that he was successful as he was still married to the same woman and his kids didn’t hate him. I think he is obviously a very grounded and down to earth individual and I’m glad he remains my childhood hero.
He is great opposite Lee Marvin in the war epic Big Red One
Has anyone else seen John Carpenter’s Body Bags? He had an awesome role in the “Eye” segment. And Sam Raimi has a cameo somewhere in there, too.
A few years ago on Howard Stern did a phone interview with Hamill and his first question was something like “Aren’t you bitter about not having a mainstream career after Star Wars?” Hamill simply said no because “I am so rich”.
He was a sci-fi and comic book geek who loved doing theater. He did three movies that set him up for life and now he doesn’t have to do anything unless he wants to. Talked about being blessed.
Mark Hamill was every young girl’s crush after “Return of the Jedi”. Although at that time (I was 13) it was Han that did it for me. I would have loved for him to have also moved on and did more films and became even more successful but I for one have to agree, he is Luke Skywalker- every kids hero, I have grown up since but still cant shake that off.
I agree with him though when asked whether he would join the RotS hoopla and then said, “it’s tempting, but I want to hold off, because I want to have something new. … It seems to me, that no matter how modest it is, you’ve got to offer them something new, so that you don’t become a nostalgia artist. And that’s always been what I strive to do.
I wanted to link to that same interview by Chaw. That’s a great one!
It’s very much worth while to read Walter Chaw’s interview with Mark Hamill, which he just reposted at http://www.filmfreakcentral.net