“Doing voiceover work reminded me how much I enjoy performing without doing a curtain call or being recognized.” – Mark Hamill
For many, Mark Hamill‘s appearances in the most recent Star Wars movies have been something of a surprise. These viewers might not be aware of anything that Hamill has done outside of Star Wars — but Hamill’s career as a Jedi Master is but part of his nearly fifty-year career as an actor. Keen-eared fans know of Hamill’s success as a voice actor and many are also familiar with his stage acting. Speaking with the Independent, Hamill reflected on his acting career outside of a galaxy far, far away.
Hamill explains that even during the post-Return of the Jedi, pre-Star Wars resurgence years he was still regularly working — even if many of his peers weren’t aware of that. He says, “Nobody knew I was on Broadway unless they were living in the tri-state area. I would come back to LA and people would wonder, ‘Oh, are you still in the business? We thought you retired.’ Doing voiceover work reminded me how much I enjoy performing without doing a curtain call or being recognized. It reminded me you don’t need the spotlight – to be on talk shows or magazine covers – to really enjoy performing. I would have been perfectly content living out my final years being a character actor and voice actor.”
He also compares himself to his Star Wars co-star Harrison Ford, saying that Ford wouldn’t take some of the career risks that he has. Hamill points out, “I’m not the greatest singer, but I had great confidence in my singing, because I’m acting like a great singer. Harrison would not want to do a musical or step outside his comfort zone. That’s the challenge to me. To do something I’ve never done before.”
