Mark Hamill Talks 'Star Wars' And His Career Resurgence As A Character Actor
Image Source: CultureSlate
Mark Hamill is one of the most recognizable names in Hollywood, but for years, he struggled with typecasting. However, all that has recently changed. In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hamill opened up on what led to the change in his career trajectory. While he struggled for years to emerge from the shadows of his legendary performance as Luke Skywalker, it was his return as the Jedi Master in the Star Wars sequel trilogy that earned him the appreciation and the breakthrough he sought for so long. Seeing Hamill as an older man with an aura that was altogether different from the one he had earlier in his career worked wonders. Now, the actor has just given a handful of critically acclaimed performances, including in The Life of Chuck, The Fall of the House of Usher, and The Long Walk. Hamill admits, “I certainly didn’t expect to have this sudden burst of life so late in the game”.
Still, despite his recent success as a character actor, Hamill can’t get through any interview without being asked about Star Wars. He was appreciated for his performance as Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi. Still, Hamill maintains that he was unsure about returning at all, as he expected Harrison Ford wouldn’t return either because he seemed fed up with all the questions about Han Solo. Ultimately, he agreed to come back because “if I’m the only one who says no, I’ll be the most hated man in nerd-dom". The film helped his resurgence, and although it took years for Hamill to get comfortable with not being the leading man, that’s where he stands in his career at the moment. He says, “I didn’t want to be Tom Cruise. And, by those standards, I succeeded far beyond my expectations.”
RELATED:
Image Source: GQ MAGAZINE UK
Regardless of the overall praise he received for his work in the sequels, Hamill has never shied away from expressing his opinion on how Luke Skywalker was portrayed in them. When he was asked to share his thoughts on the use of AI by Lucasfilm to continue Luke Skywalker’s story, Hamill found it a difficult idea to contemplate. He says, “I have enough trouble trying to deal with the jobs that I do have than to start speculating about the future. There are so many questions about AI that haven’t been answered. We’ll see how it plays out.”
Lucasfilm already used AI to de-age Mark for his cameo in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, but Hamill’s conscience is clear regarding why he agreed to be back for those shows. He insists, “I think Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, boy, do they get Star Wars. They get it. They’re speaking the same language that George did in a way that I questioned in the sequels.” These are comforting words coming from a Star Wars great, that offer hope for the future with Favreau and Filoni as the creative minds behind the upcoming Mandoverse shows and movies. As for Hamill, he currently has no plans of returning to Star Wars, but there will always be a place in people’s hearts for Luke Skywalker.
READ NEXT:
Latest News
Featured
