We continue our latest series of examining some of the works outside the saga of some of our most beloved actors in a galaxy far, far away.
As we head towards the end of this series, we continue with the man who plays the central character in Star Wars – Mr Mark Hamill.
Mark Richard Hamill was born on September 25th 1951 in Oakland, California. Hamill is one of seven children and his father was a US Navy Captain meaning that the family moved around a lot in his youth and rarely settled in one place for very long. Hamill at one point spent time in school in Japan. Hamill has been married to his wife Marilou since 1978 and has three children and one grandchild.
Walking Across Egypt (1999)
This sweet drama is a coming-of-age story that tells the tale of a lonely elderly lady and her friendship with a troubled teenage boy. 90s superstar Jonathan Taylor Thomas (famous for playing one of Tim Allen’s sons on the powerhouse sitcom Home Improvement) plays the teenage boy who is introduced to the lonely Mattie Rigsby thanks to his Uncle, played by Mark Hamill. For a small independent drama at the time, the film holds an impressive 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and the film’s lead cast were singled out for their performances. Hamill, especially, plays against type and proves his dramatic chops are more than capable of holding a strong supporting role.
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
The film based on the comic book of the same name was a goliath hit both with audiences, critics and at the box office. The film took a massive $414 million at the box office against a $90 million budget and featured an impressive line-up. Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Michael Caine, Samuel L. Jackson and Mark Hamill all-star and it’s Hamill’s casting that is a really fun easter egg. Hamill stars in the film as Professor James Taylor who has been kidnapped and needs the help of The Kingsman. All fine and dandy, however, in the comic book it’s not James Taylor who is in need of rescuing but Mark Hamill himself. Hamill pops up again a little later in the film and all the cast are having the time of their lives. A must-see!
Sushi Girl (2012)
This crime film directed by Kern Saxton is fantastic B-Movie fun. It stars many genre-specific actors and includes Hamill, Noah Hathaway and the late Tony Todd. It tells the story of a group of conmen and women who took part in a heist and now one of their clan has been released from prison they are all invited to a sushi dinner party to try and work out who stole the diamonds of their plot. Hamill stars as a character called Crow and he absolutely steals the show. He blends into the role completely and really shows how immersed in his work he can get when given a chance to play. The film is campy fun and did the rounds at numerous festivals around the world and has enjoyed a good life on digital platforms.
Brigsby Bear (2017)
This comedy-drama is my favourite Hamill film of recent years and is also one of the strongest of his career. The film tells an incredibly unique story about a man who has been held captive since his birth and during that time was obsessed with a kid’s TV show called Brisby Bear. Only years later, into his adult years, when he has been saved and is a free man does he realise that the show wasn’t real but made up by his captor and sets out to finish the series himself. The film was written and directed by SNL alum Kyle Mooney and received overwhelming praise at the Sundance Film Festival and San Diago Comic Con before being released to the same praise from critics and audiences alike. There are no spoilers here, but Mark Hamill plays one of the leading roles and is absolutely fantastic in this film. 10/10 from me.
The Fall of the House of Usher (Television series/2023)
This horror series is loosely based on works by the famed author/poet Edgar Allan Poe and takes a collection of his writings (all unrelated) and weaves them together for this series to make a non-linear story set from 1953 – 2023. The story is set in two timelines and the core narrative is that of Roderick Usher, a leader in the pharmaceutical world, who loses all his children over a short period of time. After the funeral of the final child, he gathers the remaining family to reveal truth and secrets. The series was met with universal acclaim and once again proved that Hamill excels in an ensemble cast and playing character-driven roles where he’s unrecognizable. The series was nominated for numerous awards and was the number 1 show in the world on Netflix for a time.
Comic Book: The Movie (2004)
This straight-to-DVD mockumentary is not only a showcase for Hamill’s innate comic talents but he is also the co-writer and director of the film. The plot of the film follows comic book fan Donald Swan (Hamill) as he battles the big Hollywood film studios who have recently announced that they are making an adaptation of his favourite superhero -Commander Courage. The film subverted expectations by casting voice actors in live-action roles and the film was mostly shot over 4 days at the SDCC in 2002. All of the interviews were conducted by Hamill who remained in character at all times to retain the realistic feel he was looking for. The film boasts an impressive array of stars including Stan Lee, Jonathan Winters, Matt Groening, Peter Mayhew, Dave Prowse, Jeremy Bulloch and James Arnold Taylor. It is utterly hilarious and a real gem.
Hamill continues to work at an impressive pace. He will next be seen in The Long Walk and The Life of Chuck, the latter of which has made its festival debut to Oscar buzz. He will also be heard voicing the Captain of the Flying Dutchman in The SpongeBob Movie: The Search for SquarePants.