Mark Hamill
Birthdate: Sep 25, 1951
Birthplace: Oakland, California, USA
Mark Hamill (birthname: Mark Richard Hamill) is and forever will be Luke Skywalker, no matter what other movie roles he has taken on. Remarkably, it was his first big-screen role, in George Lucas’ groundbreaking epic, Star Wars (1977), with Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing, and James Earl Jones (as the voice of Darth Vader); grossing $776 million globally, the movie is the second-highest grossing North American movie in history, adjusted for inflation.
Hamill revived Luke in the Irvin Kershner-directed The Empire Strikes Back (1980), with Billy Dee Williams joining the existing cast; Hamill completed his early-career adventure with Skywalker in Return of the Jedi (1983), directed by Richard Marquand. Combined, the Skywalk trilogy (or Star Wars Episodes 4-6) has earned a combined $1.8 billion globally, one of the most successful contained series in film history.
Hamill’s first non-Skywalker role was co-star, with Annie Potts, in the Matthew Robbins-directed adventure comedy, Corvette Summer (1978). Hamill co-starred with Lee Marvin, Robert Carradine, and Stephane Audran in Sam Fuller’s fine WW2 drama, The Big Red One (1980), premiering at the Cannes Film Festival.
Hamill joined the cast of Kristy McNichol and Dennis Quaid for the Southern-tinged musical, The Nights the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981), directed by Robert F. Maxwell. In an unexpected move, Mark Hamill was cast by legendary British filmmaker Lindsay Anderson in his piercing black comedy, Britannia Hospital (1982), starring Malcolm McDowell, Leonard Rossiter, Joan Plowright, Alan Bates, Richard Griffiths, and Graham Crowden.
Rejoining Star Wars producer Gary Kurtz, Hamill starred in the little-seen sci-fi movie, Slipstream (1989), with Bill Paxton, Ben Kingsley, and F. Murray Abraham, though despite its pedigree it was oddly never released theatrically in the U.S. More of a cult item was Hamill’s next movie, the slasher thriller Midnight Ride (1990), with Michael Dudikoff and Robert Mitchum. Mark Hamill starred in another oddity, The Guyver (1991), a U.S.-Japan co-production (made by New Line Cinema and Shochiku Films) in the Japanese tokusatsu superhero genre, with Vivian Wu and Jimmie Walker; however, Hamill did not join the movie’s 1994 sequel, subtitled Dark Hero.
One of Hamill’s first supporting roles was in John Carpenter’s effective though often dismissed horror movie, Village of the Damned (1995), the last movie starring Christopher Reeve, with Kirstie Alley and Michael Paré. After several movies that went director-to-video, Hamill played major support in the Christian-themed drama, Walking Across Egypt (1999), starring Ellen Burstyn, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Edward Herrmann, Dana Ivey, Harve Presnell, Gwen Verdon, Gail O’Grady, and Judge Reinhold.
In a goofy detour, Hamill was cast (as himself, as the character of Cocknocker, and the voice of Scooby-Doo) by writer-director Kevin Smith for his Star Wars-themed Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001), with Jason Mewes, Smith, Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Shannon Elizabeth, Eliza Dushku, Ali Larter, Will Ferrell, Matt Damon, Carrie Fisher, George Carlin, and Chris Rock.
Hamill’s only movie as star/director/writer/producer was a direct-to-video movie, Comic Book: The Movie (2004), and it was a long stretch until Hamill’s next theatrical venture in the cast of the British-made horror movie, Airborne (2012), followed by the low-budget crime movie, Sushi Girl (2012), released by Magnolia Pictures and co-starring Tony Todd, James Duval, and Sonny Chiba.
Hamill co-starred with Robert Baker in the Roger Corman-produced Virtually Heroes, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013 but wasn’t theatrically released until 2022. The first hit movie in which Mark Hamill had a role in several years was writer/director/producer Matthew Vaughn’s spy comedy, Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014), starring Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Caine, and Mark Strong, and grossing a robust $414.4 million for 20th Century Fox.
This led to Hamill’s much-discussed return to the Star Wars universe with a cameo appearance in J.J. Abrams’ mega-hit, Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), the seventh episode in the series and reuniting the original cast of Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, with Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, and Max von Sydow, and earning a stratospheric $2.07 billion worldwide.
Hamill’s appearance received such praise that he was cast in more significant appearances as Luke in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), the eighth and ninth episodes in the Star Wars saga, the former written and directed by Rian Johnson, the latter by co-written and directed J.J. Abrams, both reuniting the cast of the earlier The Force Awakens, both earning a combined $2.4 billion worldwide.
Another voice role for Hamill was Chucky in the reboot of Child’s Play (2019), directed by Lars Klevberg and starring Tim Matheson and Aubrey Plaza. Hamill’s revived career led to a role in the Bert Kreischer-starring comedy, The Machine (2023), directed by Peter Atencio and released to disappointing box office results ($10.5 million on a $20 million budget) by Sony Pictures. Mark Hammill was cast opposite Tom Hiddleston in writer-director Mike Flanagan’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Life of Chuck (date to be announced).
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Personal Details
Mark Hamill was born in Oakland, California to parents William Hamill (U.S. Navy Captain) and Virginia Suzanne Hamill. Hamill has two brothers, Will and Patrick, and four sisters, Kim, Jan, Jeanine, and Terry. Hamill’s father’s Naval assignments moved his family to several locations, including Virginia and San Diego; Hamill attended high school in both San Diego, at Annandale High School in Virginia, and at Nile Kinnick High School in Japan, where he belonged to the school’s drama club.
After graduating in 1969, Hamill attended Los Angeles City College, majoring in drama. Hamill was in a relationship with fellow General Hospital cast member Anne Wyndham during his time on the show. Hamill has been married to Marilou York since 1978; the couple has three children, Nathan, Griffin, and Chelsea. Hamill’s height is 5’ 7”. Hamill’s estimated net worth is $18 million.
Filmography
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Previous (12)
- 2024 | The Wild RobotasThorn
The Wild Robot
After a shipwreck, an intelligent robot called Roz is stranded on an uninhabited island. To survive the harsh environment, Roz bonds with the island's animals and cares for an orphaned baby goose.
- 2023 | The Boy and the HeronasGranduncle
The Boy and the Heron
In the wake of his mother's death and his father's remarriage, a headstrong boy named Mahito ventures into a dreamlike world shared by both the living and the dead.
- 2023 | The MachineasAlbert
The Machine
Bert's drunken past catches up with him 20 years down the road when he and his father are kidnapped by those Bert wronged 20 years ago while drunk on a college semester abroad in Russia.
- 2019 | Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of SkywalkerasLuke Skywalker
Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker
In the riveting conclusion of the landmark Skywalker saga, new legends will be born-and the final battle for freedom is yet to come.
- 2018 | The Legend of HallowaiianasOfficer Duke
The Legend of Hallowaiian
When three young friends uncover ancient Hawaiian legends, they unleash a giant pineapple-headed monster wreaking havoc on the island and its up to them to save their hometown.
- 2017 | Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last JediasLuke Skywalker/Dobbu Scay
Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi
Rey develops her abilities with the help of Luke Skywalker, as the Resistance prepares for battle against the First Order.
- 2017 | Brigsby BearasTed
Brigsby Bear
After being freed from his life in an underground bunker, a man sets out to make a movie of the only TV show he has ever known.
- 2015 | Kingsman: The Secret ServiceasProfessor Arnold
Kingsman: The Secret Service
A spy organisation recruits a promising street kid into the agency's training program, while a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius.
- 1993 | Batman: Mask of the PhantasmasThe Joker
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Batman is wrongly implicated in a series of murders of mob bosses actually committed by a new vigilante assassin.
- 1983 | Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi
After rescuing Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt, the Rebels attempt to destroy the second Death Star, while Luke struggles to help Darth Vader back from the dark side.
- 1980 | Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes BackasLuke Skywalker
Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
After the Rebels are brutally overpowered by the Empire on the ice planet Hoth, Luke Skywalker begins Jedi training with Yoda, while his friends are pursued across the galaxy by Darth Vader and bounty hunter Boba Fett.
- 1977 | Star Wars: Episode IV – A New HopeasLuke Skywalker
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and two droids to save the galaxy from the Empire's world-destroying battle station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the mysterious Darth Vader.
Some Facts About Mark Hamill
Voice Play: An often overseen aspect of Mark Hamill’s career is his wide range of vocal performances, and his ability to voice such disparate characters as Chucky, Batman, and Scooby-Doo.
Frank Reflections: Hamill has admitted that while “there are stars…who know how to market themselves…I don’t have that.”
Honoring Carrie Fisher: For his eulogy for the late Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill said “My life would have been so much drabber and less interesting if she hadn’t been the friend that she was.”
On Luke Skywalker: Hamill said of his iconic role, “People think being remembered most for one character is a negative thing. I never expected to be remembered for anything!”
