Mark Hamill In Conversation With Frank Oz
December 25, 2019 11:30 PM Subscribe
In Which Frank Oz answers only one question and maybe only asks a dozen but Mark Hamill talks (and talks) and is charming and delightful and open about his life experiences, and it's 1h30m of joy and anecdotes and great storytelling from one of the masters. Recorded at the 92Y on 3-23-18, published 12-5-19.
That was charming. About 30 minutes in, I learned that Mark does a great Harrison Ford impression.
posted by mikelieman at 7:18 AM on December 26, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by mikelieman at 7:18 AM on December 26, 2019 [2 favorites]
I was at this! It was so wonderful. Mark Hamill is a gift.
posted by Mavri at 7:35 AM on December 26, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by Mavri at 7:35 AM on December 26, 2019 [3 favorites]
This is so great! I also want to take them up on the reversal where Mark asks Frank Oz questions for an hour and a half. (Oz has a great bit part in Knives Out, by the way. Another great performance in a cast full of them!)
Came for the Harrison Ford impression, stayed for the story about Carrie Fisher saying, "That freshly-punched look you have will take you far."
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 9:19 AM on December 26, 2019 [4 favorites]
Came for the Harrison Ford impression, stayed for the story about Carrie Fisher saying, "That freshly-punched look you have will take you far."
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 9:19 AM on December 26, 2019 [4 favorites]
That was so much fun - but boy can he talk! I loved the "freshly-punched" line from Fisher, and the story about finnagling extra time to swing in the harness.
About 30 minutes in, I learned that Mark does a great Harrison Ford impression. And Grover!
For me the best moment was him saying "if you can't have fun in a Star Wars movie, something's really wrong with you" - I wasn't a huge fan of the latest installment (okay I mostly really really disliked it), but the truth is, at the end of the day, it was fun. Maybe that's why Hamill was the perfect choice for Luke after all - you just want to go where he's going because he's so clearly enjoying the ride.
posted by Mchelly at 10:12 AM on December 26, 2019
About 30 minutes in, I learned that Mark does a great Harrison Ford impression. And Grover!
For me the best moment was him saying "if you can't have fun in a Star Wars movie, something's really wrong with you" - I wasn't a huge fan of the latest installment (okay I mostly really really disliked it), but the truth is, at the end of the day, it was fun. Maybe that's why Hamill was the perfect choice for Luke after all - you just want to go where he's going because he's so clearly enjoying the ride.
posted by Mchelly at 10:12 AM on December 26, 2019
Thanks for this link, hippybear!
posted by Kevin Street at 3:34 PM on December 26, 2019
posted by Kevin Street at 3:34 PM on December 26, 2019
This was fantastic. I spent the day in a rabbithole of Mark Hamill interviews and annual cleaning.
posted by JawnBigboote at 5:38 PM on December 26, 2019
posted by JawnBigboote at 5:38 PM on December 26, 2019
A few years ago Kevin Smith did a two part podcast interview with Hamill and up until this it was the best interview I'd heard with Hamill and the best interview Smith has done. Smith toned it down and let Hamill speak, and speak he does, and Smith didn't just fanboy on Star Wars or the Joker but started from the beginning of his career and worked his way forward.
I never knew the Joker laugh came from his work finding a laugh for his performance in Amadeus.
posted by beowulf573 at 6:42 PM on December 26, 2019 [4 favorites]
I never knew the Joker laugh came from his work finding a laugh for his performance in Amadeus.
posted by beowulf573 at 6:42 PM on December 26, 2019 [4 favorites]
Meanwhile I went down a great rabbit hole of Frank Oz/Jim Henson documentaries and interviews. Splendid.
posted by rivenwanderer at 6:43 PM on December 26, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by rivenwanderer at 6:43 PM on December 26, 2019 [2 favorites]
Hamill spent 20 months doing a Broadway musical.
I mean, THAT is a fact about him I had never known before.
I've done community theater musicals which are a tiny fraction of the time investment and commitment. They are fucking exhausting and if you really want to get in shape go do community theater musicals because you're on your feet for hours very active every night for weeks and weeks and weeks and they trick you into believing it's all joyous fun.
No, wait, it actually is joyous fun.
Anyway, 20 months. Professionally.
No wonder he had that freshly punched look.
posted by hippybear at 8:33 PM on December 26, 2019 [4 favorites]
I mean, THAT is a fact about him I had never known before.
I've done community theater musicals which are a tiny fraction of the time investment and commitment. They are fucking exhausting and if you really want to get in shape go do community theater musicals because you're on your feet for hours very active every night for weeks and weeks and weeks and they trick you into believing it's all joyous fun.
No, wait, it actually is joyous fun.
Anyway, 20 months. Professionally.
No wonder he had that freshly punched look.
posted by hippybear at 8:33 PM on December 26, 2019 [4 favorites]
Meanwhile I went down a great rabbit hole of Frank Oz/Jim Henson documentaries and interviews. Splendid.
I did that earlier this year, and came to the conclusion that Jim and Frank must have heavily based Bert and Ernie on themselves.
With the recent deaths of Caroll Spinney and Jerry Nelson, I just want to find Frank and give him a huge hug while he's still there.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 3:28 AM on December 27, 2019 [5 favorites]
I did that earlier this year, and came to the conclusion that Jim and Frank must have heavily based Bert and Ernie on themselves.
With the recent deaths of Caroll Spinney and Jerry Nelson, I just want to find Frank and give him a huge hug while he's still there.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 3:28 AM on December 27, 2019 [5 favorites]
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