“He’s not a grandstander."

November 1, 2017 7:43 AM

Mark Hamill has always embraced his “Star Wars” legacy, but when he was invited back for “The Force Awakens” and “The Last Jedi,” he hesitated: “I was just really scared.” from Luke Skywalker Speaks [SLNYT]
posted by chavenet (22 comments total)

Crossing my beloved space franchise streams: Mark Hamill seems like a real hoopy frood that has spent a lot of time and work to know exactly where his towel is.
posted by Shepherd at 7:57 AM on November 1, 2017 [37 favorites]

that just shows that he's sensible.
posted by cendawanita at 8:05 AM on November 1, 2017 [1 favorite]

The thing that I've come to really respect about Hamill is that he's an actor who is in it for all the right reasons: A love of the craft and of being able to breathe life into genre characters. Whatever you think of his acting in the Original Trilogy, you can't deny that he is always present in the sense of inhabiting the character as Luke Skywalker, even when other actors (looking at you, Harrison Ford) come across as being just a bit too cool to engage with the nerdy fantasy aspects. And I think his later voice acting roles are an outgrowth of that desire to play in that space without fear of typecasting.

I also appreciate that while the rest of Hollywood melts down over the ongoing revelations about sexual harassment and abuse, Mark Hamill has (by all available evidence) been happily married to a woman who he had the good fortune to meet before Star Wars was even a thing. He comes across as a really solid guy in a business that has a lot of weird sociopaths in it.
posted by Strange Interlude at 8:21 AM on November 1, 2017 [38 favorites]

I love Luke Skywalker and I love Mark Hamill. I admit I get emotional that they brought Luke back, both for the character and for the actor. And I'm so excited for Rey and Luke.
posted by Mavri at 8:31 AM on November 1, 2017 [7 favorites]

Mark Hamill seems like a gem of a human being; a passion for his craft, an appreciation for how amazingly lucky he's been, and an awareness of how much the work he has been involved in has come to mean to others. Considering how he could have overwhelmed by his sudden stardom all those years ago, it's kind of neat to see how grounded he is.

You also really get the sense that he, Fisher, and Ford developed some pretty deep bonds, even if they didn't stay all that close over the years.
posted by nubs at 8:31 AM on November 1, 2017 [9 favorites]

you can't deny that he is always present in the sense of inhabiting the character as Luke Skywalker, even when other actors (looking at you, Harrison Ford) come across as being just a bit too cool to engage with the nerdy fantasy aspects.

agreed. frank oz's yoda performance in esb, while a phenomenal performance, would not have been nearly as well-regarded if it weren't for mark hamill being 100% present and committed

citation: episodes i-iii
posted by entropicamericana at 8:39 AM on November 1, 2017 [39 favorites]

Some people don't even realize what Mark Hamill has been doing for the past 20 years.
posted by eye of newt at 8:43 AM on November 1, 2017 [27 favorites]

My fave under-appreciated Hamill role is as Gen. Stampingston on Deathklok Metalocalypse.

I'm afraid that's all we know, gentlemen.
posted by Cookiebastard at 9:08 AM on November 1, 2017 [8 favorites]

"agreed. frank oz's yoda performance in esb, while a phenomenal performance, would not have been nearly as well-regarded if it weren't for mark hamill being 100% present and committed"

I had never thought about this, but you're absolutely right. If our introduction to Yoda had come through Han Solo then things would have been a lot different. Ford was the perfect one to pair with Chewie to establish instantly "yeah this is normal, they're pals and co-workers and whatever just roll with it" but ultimately Chewie's a dude in a suit and we needed some wonder and naiveté to (help) sell the life into that puppet.
posted by komara at 9:14 AM on November 1, 2017 [17 favorites]

Don't forget his turn as Schneider's nephew on One Day at a Time.
posted by JanetLand at 9:15 AM on November 1, 2017 [5 favorites]

This part—

More remorsefully, Mr. Hamill spoke of his frustration that Ms. Fisher would not get to complete this trilogy of films.

“She deserved that second act,” he said. “Harrison was more prominent in VII, I’m more prominent in this one, and she was meant to be more prominent in the last one."

just kills me.
posted by Wilbefort at 9:46 AM on November 1, 2017 [44 favorites]

Yeah, seeing Carrie in the trailers for TLJ has been a gut punch; I'm excited for the film, but not excited to be reminded that she's gone.
posted by nubs at 10:08 AM on November 1, 2017 [9 favorites]

I'm really excited for The Last Jedi, but also nervous as to where they take Luke's character. When I first read Hamill's initial response (his opinion came out some months ago), it worried me terribly. I'm putting a lot of faith in Johnson and Hamill's own ability to give us a great Luke performance.

For those who haven't, I recommend hunting down Hamill's panels from recent Star Wars Celebrations, including his farewell to Carrie Fisher in the 2017 convention. They're wonderful.
posted by Atreides at 11:48 AM on November 1, 2017 [1 favorite]

Some people don't even realize what Mark Hamill has been doing for the past 20 years.

You will not regret clicking on that link.
posted by straight at 12:17 PM on November 1, 2017 [9 favorites]

This man's voice is basically my childhood. I'm so ready for The Last Jedi!
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 12:24 PM on November 1, 2017

(Since eye of newt linked to that Justice League Action clip, I'm gonna go ahead and point out that it's the best DC cartoon since Batman: The Brave and the Bold, earning the honor to be mentioned in the same breath as the cartoon that gave us Aquaman's Rousing Song of Heroism with the short "Beep Beep," a tale of willy Lobo's schemes for trying to catch The Flash out in the desert.)
posted by straight at 1:38 PM on November 1, 2017 [3 favorites]

He is a pro-follow on Twitter. I've always enjoyed his pictures of signatures he's done on Star Wars merchandise—a lot of them are really funny.

(Plus, the picture of him jumping up on Daisy Ridley's back as if he's Yoda is so good.)
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 2:38 PM on November 1, 2017

Some people don't even realize what Mark Hamill has been doing for the past 20 years.

You know, I saw the Corvette Summer joke coming, but I still enjoyed it.

Seems like a good, level-headed guy. I'm guessing it hasn't been easy to stay that way.
posted by Chrysostom at 4:55 PM on November 1, 2017

where his towel is.

it has two sides, the light and the dark, for drying face and butt.
posted by Sebmojo at 5:30 PM on November 1, 2017

He’s gone from a new hope to an old hand
A Luke's lost hand joke? Well played, NYT.
posted by fings at 6:13 PM on November 1, 2017 [2 favorites]

You will not regret clicking on that link.

I did not. God, it even had Swamp Thing, it’s like you know me
posted by middleclasstool at 6:29 PM on November 1, 2017 [1 favorite]

I'm really excited for The Last Jedi, but also nervous as to where they take Luke's character.

The posters always put the bad guy at the top behind everyone else.
posted by infinitewindow at 7:00 PM on November 1, 2017 [3 favorites]