Mark Hamill got his acting start early on with sitcoms and comedy series. A fitting launch, since the American actor has a terrific sense of humor. For those not familiar, his funny antics may come as a surprise since the general population knows him as a certain Star Wars icon. In the years since the release of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Hamill has graced the screen in a variety of roles while also providing award-winning voiceover work to acclaimed animated series and films (The Joker being his favorite). Meanwhile, he has revived his Luke Skywalker persona countless times, per viewers’ demands, and it’s been a delight seeing a de-aged Hamill in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. In celebration of this fan-favorite character’s revival, here’s a closer look at Hamill’s other acclaimed live-action on-screen efforts over the years.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
5 Professor James Arnold — Kingsman: The Secret Service
Marv Films
When Hamill appeared on-screen during Matthew Vaughn’s 2014 classic, the person sitting next to me in the theater whispered, “That’s Luke Skywalker.” It’s hard to recognize Hamill at first, as the wide-eyed professor with a convincing British accent. Nonetheless, Hamill is a hoot to watch during his limited screen time. Kingsman: The Secret Service follows Gary “Eggsy” Unwin (then-newbie Taron Egerton) getting recruited by Harry Hart (Colin Firth) into training for a secret spy organization. The alliteration of Firth’s name is fitting, as the hit film is based on the acclaimed comic book series. The highly-praised and commercially successful film features a talented cast that also includes Mark Strong and Samuel L. Jackson as Richmond Valentine, a lisped, wealthy narcissist who wants to combat global warming by destroying most of humanity.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
4 Brent Matthews — Body Bags
Showtime Networks
John Carpenter actually plays a character in his 1993 TV anthology movie. That’s one of two reasons to definitely check out Body Bags. The other, of course, is to see Hamill in action. One of the three tales is titled “Eye,” which follows Hamill as a baseball player who loses an eye in a car accident and receives a transplant, only to be taken over by the personality of the eye’s previous owner, a murderous killer. What a premise! Hamill even took to Twitter in 2018 to plug the film, saying, “My story so violent & gory I can’t watch it. Great fun making it, though & I LOVED working with Twiggy as my wife.”
3 Ted Mitchum — Brigsby Bear
3311 Productions
One of the most bizarre and unique films from 2017, Brigsby Bear centers on a guy named James (SNL’s Kyle Mooney) who has lived an unwilling life of isolation. His sheltered life revolves around Brigsby Bear Adventures, a children’s TV show produced for an audience of one. The show abruptly ends when James’ life changes forever as he is ripped from isolation and pulled into the real world, which he knows nothing about. As he tried to cope and adapt to his new surrounding, he attempts to finish the show himself. Hamill is totally committed in his supporting role as Ted, James’ stand-in father figure responsible for convincing James that the outside world is dangerous. Hamill spoke to Medium with more insight into his character:
2 Pvt. Griff — The Big Red One
Lorimar
Samuel Fuller was a World War II veteran and served with the 1st Infantry Division, which is nicknamed “The Big Red One” for the red numeral “1” on the division’s shoulder patch. The film The Big Red One was directed by Fuller himself and based on his own experiences. The 1980 version was reportedly trimmed from 270 minutes to the released 113, but a restored version premiered at Cannes in 2004. Roger Ebert gave that version four stars, writing with praise, “We learn nothing about [Fuller] – not if he’s married, not if he has a family, not even his name. In another sense, we learn everything about him. Fuller and Marvin never give the sergeant those obligatory campfire speeches describing his history and beliefs, and instead develop the character by showing how he behaves at important moments.” Hamill plays Private Griff with the intensity and heroism required for such a juicy soldier-in-action role.
1 Luke Skywalker — Various Star Wars Films
Lucasfilm Ltd.
It may be hard for Star Wars die-hards to pinpoint their favorite Luke Skywalker moment from over the years. Was it his big reveal at the end of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens? How about his iconic “You killed my father!” line from The Empire Strikes Back? Across the board, Hamill’s leading-man turn as the Jedi master was magnetic on-screen. His performance evoked hope and other bright sides of humanity. He may look a bit shaky in those first Tatooine scenes in A New Hope, but the actor really grew into the part — and we couldn’t help but root for him whenever Yoda was on his back. That’s why it was such a treat seeing a de-aged Hamill training Grogu in The Book of Boba Fett. More of that, please!
