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Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor and writer. He is known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the '' Star Wars'' film series, beginning with the original 1977 film and subsequently winning three
Saturn Awards The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films be ...
for his performances in '' The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980), '' Return of the Jedi'' (1983), and '' The Last Jedi'' (2017). His other film appearances include ''
Corvette Summer ''Corvette Summer'' is a 1978 American adventure comedy film directed by Matthew Robbins. It was Mark Hamill's first screen appearance after the unexpected success of '' Star Wars'' the previous year. Hamill stars as a California teenager who h ...
'' (1978) and '' The Big Red One'' (1980). Hamill has also appeared on stage in several theater productions, primarily during the 1980s. He is a prolific
voice actor Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbing artists, voice talent, voice-over artists, or voice-over talen ...
who has portrayed characters in numerous animated television series, films and video games. Hamill is known for his long-standing role as the Joker in various
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...
projects, commencing with '' Batman: The Animated Series'' (1992–1994). He has also voiced the Hobgoblin in '' Spider-Man'' (1994–1998), Fire Lord Ozai in '' Avatar: The Last Airbender'' (2005–2008), and Skips in '' Regular Show'' (2010–2017).


Early life

Mark Richard Hamill was born on September 25, 1951, in
Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the ...
, to Virginia Suzanne (''
née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
'' Johnson) and William Thomas Hamill, a U.S. Navy
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
. He is one of seven children, having two brothers, Will and Patrick, and four sisters, Terry, Jan, Jeanie, and Kim. His father has
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...
, Scottish, Irish, and
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...
ancestry and his mother was of half Swedish and half
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...
descent. Hamill has described his father as a staunch
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
, and " Nixon Republican". His father's changes of station and attendant family moves led to the Hamill children switching schools often. In his elementary years, he went to
Walsingham Academy Walsingham Academy is an independent Catholic school in Williamsburg, Virginia. It was founded in 1947 and is administered by the Sisters of Mercy of Merion, Pennsylvania. History Saint Bede parish in Williamsburg purchased a building original ...
in Williamsburg, Virginia, and Edgar Allan Poe Middle School in Annandale, Virginia. At age 11, he moved to the 5900 block of Castleton Drive in
San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United Stat ...
, where he attended Hale Junior High School. During his first year at James Madison High School in San Diego, his family moved back to Virginia, and Hamill attended
Annandale High School Annandale High School is a public high school in Annandale, Virginia, United States. It is part of the Fairfax County Public Schools system. The school's student body has been well-recognized for its high level of racial and cultural diversi ...
. By his junior year, his father was stationed in Japan, where Hamill attended and was a member of the Drama Club at
Nile C. Kinnick High School Nile C. Kinnick High School is a U.S. military-operated school now located in US Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest ...
, from which he graduated in 1969. He later enrolled at Los Angeles City College, majoring in drama.


Career


Beginnings

Hamill's early career included a recurring role on the
soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio drama ...
''
General Hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the longest-running American soap opera in production, and the second in American history after '' ...
,'' and a starring role on the short-lived
sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...
''
The Texas Wheelers ''The Texas Wheelers'' is an American sitcom that aired in 1974 and 1975. The series, produced by MTM Enterprises, is about the cantankerous but lovable Zack Wheeler, a long-lost father who returned to raise his children Truckie, Doobie, Boo, and ...
''. He portrayed the oldest son, David, in the pilot episode of ''
Eight Is Enough ''Eight Is Enough'' is an American television comedy-drama series that ran on ABC from March 15, 1977, until May 23, 1981. The show was modeled on the life of syndicated newspaper columnist Tom Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who ...
'', though the role was later performed by
Grant Goodeve Grant Goodeve (born July 6, 1952) is an American actor and television host. He is best known for his role as David Bradford, the eldest son on ABC television's ''Eight Is Enough'' from 1977 to 1981; he sang the theme song for the show, as well. M ...
. He also had guest appearances on '' The Bill Cosby Show'', '' The Partridge Family,'' '' Room 222'' and '' One Day at a Time''. He appeared in multiple television films such as '' The City,'' and '' Sarah T. – Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic''.


''Star Wars''

Robert Englund was auditioning for a role in '' Apocalypse Now'' when he walked across the hall where auditions were taking place for
George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the '' Star Wars'' and '' Indiana Jones'' franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as c ...
's '' Star Wars''. After watching the auditions for a while, he realized that Hamill, his friend, would be perfect for the role of Luke Skywalker. He suggested to Hamill that he audition for the role; as it turned out, Hamill's agent had already set up the audition that gave him the role. Released in May 1977, ''Star Wars'' was an enormous, unexpected success and had a huge effect on the film industry. Hamill also appeared in the less-than-successful '' Star Wars Holiday Special'' in 1978 and later starred in the successful sequels '' The Empire Strikes Back'' and '' Return of the Jedi''. During the time between the first two films, Hamill was involved in a serious automobile accident, fracturing his nose and left cheekbone. False rumors spread that he required plastic surgery on his face. For both of the sequels, Hamill was honored with the Saturn Award for Best Actor given by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. Hamill reprised the role of Luke Skywalker for the radio dramatizations of both ''Star Wars'' and ''The Empire Strikes Back''. For the ''Return of the Jedi'' radio drama, the role was played by a different actor. Editions of Joseph Campbell's ''
The Hero with a Thousand Faces ''The Hero with a Thousand Faces'' (first published in 1949) is a work of comparative mythology by Joseph Campbell, in which the author discusses his theory of the mythological structure of the journey of the archetypal hero found in world myt ...
'' (which influenced Lucas as he was developing the films) issued after the release of ''Star Wars'' in 1977 used the image of Hamill as Luke Skywalker on the cover. Hamill has appeared in several documentaries including '' The Making of Star Wars'' and '' Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy''. He also narrated the 1983 documentary, '' From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga''. Hamill returned to the ''Star Wars'' universe in 2014, when he voiced the ancient Sith Lord
Darth Bane Darth Bane is a fictional character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise. He was created by George Lucas, within the ''Star Wars'' canon where he is first mentioned in a deleted scene from '' Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'', where Bane ...
, in the last episode of season 6 of the animated series '' The Clone Wars''. He was nominated for a
Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...
for his performance. With the acquisition of
Lucasfilm Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC is an American film and television production company and a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is a business segment of The Walt Disney Company. The studio is best known for creating and producing the '' Star Wars'' and ...
by
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on Octobe ...
, a Disney press release was announced that there would be more ''Star Wars'' films starting with '' The Force Awakens'', which was released on December 18, 2015. Initially, both Disney and Hamill were coy about whether Hamill would be a cast member of ''The Force Awakens''.Devin Leonard
"How Disney Bought Lucasfilm—and Its Plans for 'Star Wars'"
''Bloomberg Businessweek'', March 7, 2013. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
It was reported that Hamill had been assigned a nutritionist and personal trainer to work with ahead of production. In September 2013, Hamill's friend Robert Englund confirmed that "they've got Mark in the gym because Mark's coming back as Luke Skywalker." Despite having top billing, Hamill only appears briefly at the end of the film (with no dialogue) in a cliffhanger set-up for the sequel. Hamill played Skywalker again in '' Star Wars: The Last Jedi'', released on December 15, 2017. Hamill was initially critical of his own role in the film, stating that he and director
Rian Johnson Rian Craig Johnson (born December 17, 1973) is an American filmmaker. He made his directorial debut with the neo-noir mystery film ''Brick'' (2005), which received positive reviews and grossed nearly $4 million on a $450,000 budget. Transitio ...
had "a fundamental difference" on Skywalker's characterization. Hamill later expressed regret for having made those statements, calling the film an "all-time great", and reprised his role as Skywalker again in '' Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker''. Hamill also had brief vocal cameos as Dobbu Scay in ''The Last Jedi'', Boolio in ''The Rise of Skywalker'', EV-9D9 in fifth episode of '' The Mandalorian'' as well in ''Rogue One'', ''Solo: A Star Wars Story'' and ''The Force Awakens'' in undisclosed roles, for which he was credited as "William M. Patrick" and "Patrick Williams". Hamill was digitally de-aged to reprise his role as Luke Skywalker in the Season 2 finale of '' The Mandalorian'' and the sixth chapter of the spin-off series '' The Book of Boba Fett''. He also appeared in ''Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian'' and ''The Book of Boba Fett''.


Other work

After the success of ''Star Wars'', Hamill found that audiences identified him very closely with the role of Luke Skywalker, after which he became a teen idol and appeared on teen magazine covers such as Tiger Beat and others. He attempted to avoid typecasting by appearing in the 1978 film ''
Corvette Summer ''Corvette Summer'' is a 1978 American adventure comedy film directed by Matthew Robbins. It was Mark Hamill's first screen appearance after the unexpected success of '' Star Wars'' the previous year. Hamill stars as a California teenager who h ...
'' and the better-known 1980
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
film '' The Big Red One''. In 1980, he also made a guest appearance on ''
The Muppet Show ''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC in 1974 and 1975. While neither episode was moved forward as ...
,'' both as himself and as Luke Skywalker in ''The Stars of Star Wars''; this episode also starred C-3PO and R2-D2 who were along with him on a search for Chewbacca. Other film appearances around this time include ''
The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" is a Southern Gothic murder ballad, written in 1972 by songwriter Bobby Russell and first recorded by his then wife, singer, comedian, and actress Vicki Lawrence. Lawrence's version, from her 1973 alb ...
'' in 1981 and '' Britannia Hospital'' in 1982. To further distance himself from his early blockbuster role, Hamill started acting on Broadway, starring in plays such as '' The Elephant Man'' in 1979, '' Amadeus'' in 1983, '' Harrigan 'N Hart'' in 1985 (for which he received a
Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. F ...
nomination), '' Room Service'' in 1986 and '' The Nerd'' in 1987–88. When ''Amadeus'' was adapted to
film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...
in 1984, Hamill auditioned to reprise the role for the big screen but lost the part to Tom Hulce. A studio executive told the producers of the film, "I don't want Luke Skywalker in this film". He made television appearances in a 1986 episode of '' Amazing Stories'' and a 1987 episode of ''
Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was r ...
''. Hamill returned to film after a six-year hiatus with the 1989
science fiction film Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial lifeforms, spacecraft, robots, cyborgs, interstel ...
'' Slipstream.'' He continued to star in films throughout the 1990s, including in such films as the
thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...
'' Midnight Ride'', '' The Guyver'' in 1991, the 1995 remake of '' Village of the Damned,'' and the 1998 Swedish
action film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include l ...
''
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilto ...
''. Hamill appeared in the 2001 film '' Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back'' as the supervillain Cocknocker, a role which parodies both himself and roles he has played in the past. He made guest appearances in two episodes as the Trickster in the live-action 1990 television series of ''
The Flash The Flash (or simply Flash) is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date ...
''. He has made cameo appearances on '' MADtv'', where he played the estranged father of Ms. Swan, and appeared on ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'' playing himself being sold on a ''Star Wars''-themed
home shopping Home shopping is the electronic retailing and home shopping channels industry, which includes such billion dollar television-based and e-commerce companies as Shop LC, HSN, Gemporia, TJC, QVC, eBay, ShopHQ, Buy.com and Amazon.com, as well as ...
sale. Hamill appeared in single episodes of ''3rd Rock from the Sun'' in 1997, ''Just Shoot Me!'' in 1998 and in two episodes of ''seaQuest DSV'' in 1995 (as Tobias LeConte). He also appeared in the episode "Mind over Matter (The Outer Limits), Mind over Matter" of the 1995 television series ''The Outer Limits (1995 TV series), The Outer Limits''. When the ''Wing Commander (franchise), Wing Commander'' series of computer games started using full motion video cut scenes, Hamill was cast as the series protagonist, Colonel Christopher Blair, a role he played in ''Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger'', ''Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom'' and ''Wing Commander: Prophecy''. In the 1999 ''Wing Commander (film), Wing Commander'' film, set earlier in the series, the character was played by Freddie Prinze, Jr., although Hamill had a voice cameo. Hamill appears in ''Squadron 42'', the single player campaign from the ''Star Citizen'' computer game universe as Lieutenant Commander Steve "Old Man" Colton. In 2003, Hamill starred in the two-hander play ''Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks'' as the acerbic dance instructor Michael Minetti. He played opposite Rue McClanahan for the season at the Coconut Grove Playhouse in Miami, and opposite Polly Bergen as the production moved on to Broadway. Hamill also directed and starred in the 2004 Direct-to-video, direct-to-DVD ''Comic Book: The Movie''. A comic book fan who attended science fiction and comic conventions before he became famous, Hamill stated that his character was based on an exaggerated version of himself. He and his crew shot most of the "mockumentary" film during the 2002 San Diego Comic-Con and enlisted Stan Lee, Kevin Smith, Bruce Campbell and Hugh Hefner in small roles. The movie won an award for Best Live-Action DVD Premiere Movie at the 2005 DVD Exclusive Awards. In 2011, Hamill appeared as a villain in the Chuck (season 5), fifth season of the NBC series ''Chuck (TV series), Chuck''. Hamill also appeared in the television series ''Criminal Minds'' in the last two episodes of season eight as John Curtis, also known as "The Replicator", a serial killer who has been stalking the BAU team throughout the show's eighth season. He also made a guest appearance alongside George Takei on the season one finale of the American Broadcasting Company, ABC sitcom ''The Neighbors (2012 TV series), The Neighbors'' as Commandant Bill. Hamill did not star in any live-action films for a number of years until 2011 when he starred in the Hungarian film ''Thelomeris'', on which he also served as a creative consultant. The film was the first mainstream
science fiction film Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial lifeforms, spacecraft, robots, cyborgs, interstel ...
to be produced in Hungary. The next year, Hamill starred in two more live-action films, British horror film ''Airborne (2012 film), Airborne'' and the small independent film ''Sushi Girl''. ''Airborne'' was met with a negative reception from critics and audiences. Hamill said in an interview that ''Sushi Girl'' was a great challenge for him as it took him out of his comfort zone since it was such a dark film. He did not accept the role until he got encouragement from his daughter, who said he would be crazy not to accept it. In 2014, Hamill played James Arnold, an academic professor from Imperial College London and an expert in climate change, in the film ''Kingsman: The Secret Service''. In addition, he reprised his role as the Trickster on The CW's 2014 live-action series ''The Flash (2014 TV series), The Flash'', in the seventeenth episode of the first season, the ninth episode of the second season, and the ninth episode of the third season. He starred in the 2018 film ''Con Man'', an independent film about the life of Barry Minkow, the famous Confidence trick, con man. Hamill played Minkow's father, Robert Minkow. Hamill appeared in second season of historical fiction drama series ''Knightfall (TV series), Knightfall'', premiered in 2019. His role is Master Talus, a veteran Templar who trains the initiates at the Chartres Temple. He is set to make an appearance on the revival of ''The Kids in the Hall (TV series), The Kids in the Hall'', releasing on Amazon Prime Video on May 13, 2022.


Voice acting


General work

Hamill first did voice acting work in the early 1970s voicing the character Corey Anders on the Saturday morning cartoon ''Jeannie (TV series), Jeannie'' by Hanna-Barbera Productions. He later played Sean in the Ralph Bakshi film ''Wizards (film), Wizards'', which was released just three months before ''Star Wars'' in 1977. Though the voice role he is most known for is Batman's archenemy the Joker (comics), Joker, his success as the Joker has led him to portray a wide variety of characters in television, film, anime, and video games (mostly similar super-villains). Hamill was the voice of Hobgoblin (comics), The Hobgoblin in the 1990s '' Spider-Man'' animated series, and his other Marvel Comics, Marvel superhero genre roles include the Gargoyle (comics), Gargoyle in the animated series of ''The Incredible Hulk (1996 TV series), The Incredible Hulk'', Maximus (comics), Maximus in ''Fantastic Four (1994 TV series), Fantastic Four'', Klaw (Marvel Comics), Klaw in ''Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes'' and multiple characters in ''Ultimate Spider-Man (TV series), Ultimate Spider-Man''. Hamill voiced Solomon Grundy (comics), Solomon Grundy and Trickster in the DC animated universe series ''Justice League (TV series), Justice League'' and ''Justice League Unlimited'', the murderous gangster Tony Zucco in ''The Batman (TV series), The Batman'', an animated series unrelated to the various DC animated universe series. He voiced Spectre (comics), Spectre in an episode of ''Batman: The Brave and the Bold''. Non-comic related television roles include the deranged shock jock anchorman Dr. Jak in ''Phantom 2040'', Principal John Smith in ''Totally Spies!, Totally Spies'' episode "Soul Collector", Christopher Blair, Christopher "Maverick" Blair in ''Wing Commander Academy'', the classic Walter Lantz character Buzz Buzzard in ''The New Woody Woodpecker Show'', the flamboyant robot Lawrance "Larry" 3000 in ''Time Squad'', the pirate Captain Stickybeard in ''Codename: Kids Next Door'', Fire Lord Ozai in '' Avatar: The Last Airbender'', the evil Skeleton King in ''Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!'', multiple roles in ''Metalocalypse'' and the groundskeeper Skips in '' Regular Show''. He also voiced himself in two episodes of the Disney animated series ''Pepper Ann''. He guest-starred in ''The Simpsons'' episode "Mayored to the Mob" as himself. On the audio commentary of the episode, he says that he has been a fan of the show since it debuted in 1987 on ''The Tracy Ullman Show'' and that it was a personal thrill to work with Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Homer Simpson. He has also guest-starred in ''Family Guy'' and was also a recurring voice actor on Seth Green's ''Robot Chicken''. Aside from voice acting on television, Hamill has starred in multiple animated films. Some of these roles include The Captain of the Guard in ''Sinbad: Beyond the Veil of Mists'', the biblical figure Judah (biblical person), Judah in ''Joseph: King of Dreams'', the evil wolf Niju in ''Balto II: Wolf Quest'' and Chanukah Zombie in ''Futurama: Bender's Big Score''. Hamill has done voice acting in English dubs of two Studio Ghibli films. He voiced Colonel Muska in the second English-language version of ''Castle in the Sky'' and the Mayor of Pejite in ''Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (film), Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind'', both directed by Hayao Miyazaki and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, Disney. His video game voice roles include Detective Mosely in ''Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers'' and ''Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned'', Assistant Director Wilson in ''Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix'', Adrian Ripburger in the LucasArts game ''Full Throttle (1995 video game), Full Throttle'', two installments of ''Crash Bandicoot (series), Crash Bandicoot'' series, Logan (film series character), Wolverine in ''X2: Wolverine's Revenge'', which was the tie-in game to the film ''X2 (film), X2'', Goro Majima in ''Yakuza (video game), Yakuza'', Malefor The Dark Master in ''The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon'', The Watcher in ''Darksiders'', and Master Eraqus in ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep'' and ''Kingdom Hearts III''. The creator of Kingdom Hearts, Tetsuya Nomura, is a big fan of all of Hamill's work. There is also another character, Master Xehanort, who was originally voiced by Leonard Nimoy, the actor of Spock. Tetsuya Nomura stated that they wanted the two for the roles, as the two characters are rivals, referencing the rivalry between fans of ''Star Wars'' and fans of ''Star Trek''. After Nimoy died, he was replaced by Rutger Hauer for ''Kingdom Hearts III'', who in turn was replaced by Christopher Lloyd following his death for the ''Re Mind'' downloadable content, as Lloyd also appeared in ''Star Trek'' as Commander Kruge. He also narrated ''Call of Duty 2: Big Red One'', the title being a reference to the 1980 war film he starred in. Hamill is credited as the narrator in ''Ancient Voices'', a 1999 series of documentaries on archaeology and ancient history produced by as a BBC/The Learning Channel co-production, and published by Time-Life as a DVD series. He also narrated the Medal of Honor and Silver Star citations of Tibor Rubin, Ralph E. Pomeroy, John Finnigan and Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr., Mitchell Red Cloud Jr. for the 2013 Korean War documentary ''Finnigan's War'' directed by Conor Timmis. Hamill voiced the character of Todd Wainio in ''World War Z'', a critically acclaimed audiobook based on Max Brooks' World War Z, novel of the same name. He also provided the entire cast of voices for a 1983 audiobook version of ''Pinocchio'' with unique characteristics for each. Hamill also reads life into the characters of the popular juvenile fiction book series, ''The Spiderwick Chronicles Volumes I–III'', by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi. In 2009, Hamill voiced Elder Orin in ''Battle for Terra''. He also narrated the 2017 science fiction TV series ''Dimension 404''. In 2019, Hamill voiced the character Chucky (character), Chucky in the ''Child's Play (2019 film), Child's Play'' remake and the Skeksis scientist Skeksis#skekTek, skekTek in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'', a web television prequel series to the 1982 Jim Henson film ''The Dark Crystal''. In 2021, Hamill voiced the character tailor Art Rosenbaum in the Invincible (TV series), animated adaptation of Robert Kirkman's ''Invincible (comics), Invincible'' series and Skeletor in ''Masters of the Universe: Revelation''. He is also set to reprise the role for the follow to ''Revelation'' titled ''Masters of the Universe: Revolution.''


As the Joker

Hamill's role as the Joker (character), Joker began in the 1992 series '' Batman: The Animated Series'' and continued to many later spin-off series, video games and films. Hamill received critical acclaim for his performance, which put him in high demand as a voice-over actor of cartoon villains. Hamill voiced the Joker in fourteen episodes of ''Batman: The Animated Series'', three episodes of ''Superman: The Animated Series'', five episodes of ''The New Batman Adventures'', five episodes of ''Justice League (TV series), Justice League'', an episode of ''Static Shock'', and a few segments in ''Robot Chicken''. He also voiced the Joker in the 1993 theatrical film ''Batman: Mask of the Phantasm'' and the 2000 direct-to-video film ''Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker''. The short-lived The WB live-action series ''Birds of Prey (TV series), Birds of Prey'', based on the comic book of the same title, featured a flashback sequence in which the Joker shoots Barbara Gordon and paralysis, paralyzes her. This sequence featured Hamill voicing Joker, dubbing (filmmaking), dubbed over actor/stuntman Roger Stoneburner whose facial structure more resembled the character. Hamill voiced the Joker alongside his ''Batman: The Animated Series'' co-star Kevin Conroy as Batman and Jason Hillhouse as Dick Grayson in a feature of a storyboard scene included in the 2005 Special Edition DVD of Tim Burton's 1989 film ''Batman (1989 film), Batman''. This scene depicted the origin of Robin (comics), Robin, which was not filmed because the producers felt it was out-of-place with the rest of the film. Hamill has said that he has voiced the Joker for toys and amusement park rides. Although these jobs did not pay particularly well, he enjoyed even these small roles and admitted being protective of the character, preferring not to let "others sleep in my sleeping bag"; he also self-identifies as a "real comic book nerd". Hamill has portrayed the Joker in a few Batman-themed video games, beginning with 2001's ''Batman Vengeance'', the Sega CD version of ''The Adventures of Batman & Robin (video game), The Adventures of Batman & Robin'' (which was later used to create a "lost" episode of the animated series) and in ''Batman: Arkham Asylum''. Hamill again reprised the role in the ''Arkham'' sequel, ''Batman: Arkham City''. In May 2010, Hamill declared to IGN that his role in ''Arkham City'' would be his last as the Joker. Some months later, with the announcement of ''Arkham City'', he clarified his statements in the interview by saying, via his Twitter account, "Only said Arkham Asylum would be hard to top, not that I was quitting." On October 19, 2011, shortly after the release of the game, Hamill announced his retirement on his Twitter account, saying "Hello/Goodbye Joker! I've enjoyed every minute behind the wheel of the Clown Prince's crazy car – I'm going to miss him more than I can say!!". In June 2012, WB Games released the expansion pack titled "The Last Laugh" for the video game ''DC Universe Online'', featuring Hamill as the Joker. In 2015, Hamill yet again returned as the Joker in ''Batman: Arkham Knight'' with the character recurring through the game as a hallucination. During a 2011 Comic-Con, when asked about Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning portrayal of the character in Christopher Nolan's ''The Dark Knight (film), The Dark Knight'', Hamill claimed that it was the most original performance that he had ever seen since Anthony Hopkins' Oscar-winning portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in ''The Silence of the Lambs (film), The Silence of the Lambs''. Hamill has commented that if there would ever be an animated version of ''Batman: The Killing Joke'', he would gladly voice the Joker again, encouraging fans to campaign for said adaptation. On July 17, 2015, Hamill tweeted that he had his fingers crossed in hopes that he would be contacted to reprise his role as the Joker in the Batman: The Killing Joke (film), animated adaptation. On July 27, Collider reported that Hamill would voice the Joker in the film. The film was released in theaters for a two-day limited time. It was released on Digital HD on July 27, 2016. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 2. Positive reception was met for Hamill's performance as the Joker, with some citing it as his best performance of the character. Hamill reprised the Joker for the animated series ''Justice League Action''. He also reprised the Trickster for the series, as well as voicing Swamp Thing. In the animated short "Missing the Mark", Hamill voices a fictionalized version of himself, who appears alongside all three of his other characters. Hamill once again voiced Joker in ''Lego DC Super-Villains'', replacing voice actor Christopher Corey Smith. Hamill has been nominated for two Annie Awards for his portrayal of the character, for an Interactive Achievement Award, for a Spike Video Game Award, and has won a British Academy Video Games Awards#2011, British Academy Video Game Award for Best Performer.


Writing

Hamill is the co-writer of ''The Black Pearl (comics), The Black Pearl'', a comic book miniseries published by Dark Horse Comics. He wrote an introduction to the Trade Paperback ''Batman: Riddler Two-Face'' which reprints various stories involving Riddler, the Riddler and Two-Face to tie in with ''Batman Forever''. He has also written several stories for ''Simpsons Comics'', including "Catastrophe in Substitute Springfields!", which parodies DC's ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' and also references several other classic comics.


Personal life

According to a 1981 profile in ''People magazine, People'', Hamill's "first romance (love), serious love" was actor Anne Wyndham, cast as his sister on ''General Hospital'', with whom he had an offscreen relationship. He would later describe experiencing seasons of on-set awkwardness while working with her after their relationship ended. In a 2017 interview, he attributed his long, happy marriage to a non-actor to learning, through his relationship with Wyndham, the dangers of being in a relationship with a fellow actor. On December 17, 1978, Hamill married dental hygienist Marilou York in a private civil ceremony. They have three children: Nathan Elias (born June 1979), Griffin Tobias (born March 1983), and Chelsea Elizabeth (born July 1988). Nathan was born during the production of ''The Empire Strikes Back'' and had a cameo appearance as one of the Royal Guards of Naboo in ''Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace''. Chelsea made a photographic appearance as an infant Trickster (comics)#Axel Walker, Axel Walker in the 1990 television series ''
The Flash The Flash (or simply Flash) is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date ...
''; the same photograph was used in the The Flash (2014 TV series), 2014 series. All three have cameos as Resistance (Star Wars), Resistance soldiers in ''The Last Jedi''. On January 11, 1977, before shooting one of his scenes in ''Star Wars'', Hamill was in a traffic collision, car accident in which he fractured his nose and left cheekbone. As a result, a double was used for the landspeeder Pick-up (filmmaking), pickup shots. According to a recorded interview, he was driving his BMW on a freeway, became distracted, and seeing that he was missing his interchange (road), offramp, attempted to negotiate four lanes of traffic. Hamill later said that the stories surrounding his injuries had become exaggerated. Confirming that he had only broken his nose, he observed that "over the years it's [been] built up into having my face Reconstructive surgery, reconstructed with plastic surgery." Hamill is an outspoken advocate of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party and has supported its candidates. Prior to the 2012 United States presidential election, 2012 presidential election, he referred to Mitt Romney as a "snake oil salesman". He endorsed P.G. Sittenfeld in the 2016 United States Senate election in Ohio, 2016 Ohio Senate election. He has also criticized Social media use by Donald Trump, the tweets of Donald Trump by reading them out in his Joker voice. Hamill is a lifelong fan of Laurel and Hardy. In June 2016, he called into ''The Ross Owen Show'' on Black Sky Radio to talk for over an hour about his passion for Stan Laurel, Stan and Oliver Hardy, Ollie. He was also an early fan of David Letterman, having occasionally appeared on ''Late Night with David Letterman'', as well as taping every episode and keeping a journal documenting the show. After encountering writer Chris Elliott, Hamill was asked for assistance in helping determine the 1,000th Viewer Mail that Letterman had answered. His practice continued to Letterman's Late Show with David Letterman, new show on CBS, but eventually stopped. He became a supporter of English football club Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. in 2017. In December 2017, Hamill became an affiliate member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, having had an interest in the science since childhood. During the 2022 Brazilian general election, he declared his support for former President of Brazil, president and presidential candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.


Filmography


Written works


Forewords

*


Comics


Awards and nominations


See also

* Asteroid 110026 Hamill


Notes


References


External links

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hamill, Mark 1951 births Living people 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors 20th-century American writers 21st-century American writers 20th-century American male writers American comics writers American expatriates in Japan American male film actors American male soap opera actors American male stage actors American male television actors American male video game actors American male voice actors American people of English descent American people of Irish descent American people of Scottish descent American people of Swedish descent American people of Welsh descent Annandale High School alumni BAFTA winners (people) California Democrats Inkpot Award winners Los Angeles City College alumni Male actors from Oakland, California Writers from Oakland, California