EARLY LIFE

Born on September 25th, 1951 in Oakland, California, Mark Hamill was the fourth of seven children. Hamill grew up around the world due to his father’s position in the U.S. Navy. The Hamills moved often, and Mark grew up all over the world, from California, to New York, to Japan. Hamill graduated high school abroad and the family moved back to California. He attended Los Angeles City College and studied drama and theatre arts. Soon after, Hamill scored professional roles on popular shows like The Bill Cosby Show (1971), The Partridge Family (1971), Cannon (1971), Night Gallery (1972), and a recurring role on General Hospital as Kent Murray (1973).

STAR WARS & RISE TO FAME

Although Hamill had just landed a role on the TV show Eight is Enough right before landing the role of Luke Skywalker, he dropped the show when he was cast in the first Star Wars movie (AKA A New Hope). The film was an overnight success and Hamill as well as his main co-stars, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford, were all skyrocketed to an unseen level of international fame. Hamill reprised his role in the The Empire Strikes Back and the Return of the Jedi movies, rounding out the original Star Wars movie trilogy. Not only did those involved with the series enjoy success, the movies’ interpretation of Science Fiction/Fantasy media caused a sharp increase in the creation of Star Wars-like TV and movies.

TEEN IDOL TO EDGY ACTOR

Hamill’s fame as Luke Skywalker made him an instant teen heartthrob, landing him on the cover of popular teen magazines. Although he certainly could have continued his career as a handsome leading man, Hamill wanted to avoid typecasting and instead took gritty, edgy roles. He was passionate about his career and didn’t want to be pigeonholed into only Luke Skywalker-esque types of roles. Not only did Hamill take roles in movies like the World War II film The Big Red One and the also iconic Corvette Summer, he also starred in multiple Broadway productions. Most famous was his leading role in The Elephant Man in 1979. Hamill has been involved in numerous other TV, film, and theatrical productions since Star Wars put him in the limelight.

POST-STAR WARS ROLES

private griff in "Big Red One"

Kenneth dantley in "Corvette Summer"

mark Hamill as himself in an SNL Sketch

The Trickster in "The Flash"

VOICE ACTING CAREER

Although it is not as well-known to the public as is his part in Star Wars, Hamill is a prolific voice actor. One of his most iconic roles is undeniably his portrayal of The Joker in Batman: The Animated Series from 1992-1994. Clearly having a knack for playing the villain, Hamill began down the path of playing many bad guys in formats from TV and movies to video games and other media. Hamill’s talent for voice manipulation probably means you didn’t know he was in some of your favorite childhood shows. Hamill fans who grew up in the early 2000s may be shocked to know that he voiced Skips on Regular Show and Fire Lord Ozai in Avatar: The Last Airbender.

RECENT WORK & PERSONAL LIFE

With The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of Star Wars in 2012 and subsequent strong revival of the franchise, Hamill came back onto the silver screen as Luke Skywalker in 2015, then again in 2017 and 2019. The first episode of this new trilogy, The Force Awakens, earned over $350 million at the box office worldwide in its opening weekend. Hamill had a prominent role in the second season of the TV show Knightfall as a veteran templar, training new knights. Also in 2019, Hamill voiced the character of Chucky in the Child's Play movie remake. Mark Hamill has been happily married to Marilou York since 1978 and they have three adult children, Nathan, Griffin, and Chelsea, who have all had cameos in various Star Wars productions. He is an outspoken Democrat and is active on social media, with his posts spanning from funny life stories to serious political messages. Hamill uses his platform to connect with and inform his fans and social media followers on important current & world events.