The one role Mark Hamill will always regret never playing: “It was disappointing”
Even though he didn’t enjoy the same levels of stratospheric success as Harrison Ford, and there’s no shame in that when few in modern Hollywood have, Mark Hamill has spent the last five decades proving himself as much more than Star Wars‘ Luke Skywalker.
Obviously, since he played the protagonist of a blockbuster that changed cinema forever, launched one of pop culture’s most beloved and enduring franchises, and went on to reprise the role in both of its direct sequels and the recent sequel trilogy, it’ll always be his career-defining role.
As far as characters to be remembered for go, they don’t come much bigger than the focal point of what’s arguably cinema’s definitive sci-fi saga and a multi-billion-dollar empire. However, as well as working with a number of talented filmmakers on a myriad of projects, Hamill is also one of the industry’s finest voice actors.
The recording booth became his second home, and he wasted little time in establishing himself as one of the most natural, in-demand, and prolific voiceover artists in the game. Hamill isn’t one for regrets, and he’s enjoyed almost 50 years in the spotlight after his breakout performance in Star Wars, but there’s still one role he wishes he’d played.
From the outside looking in, it’s easy to see why. The movie was directed by one of the ‘New Hollywood’ era’s most prominent auteurs, won rave reviews from critics, turned a tidy profit at the box office, and scooped eight Academy Awards from 11 nominations, including ‘Best Picture’, ‘Best Director’, and earned the star who played the part he wanted a nod for ‘Best Actor’.
When asked by The Hollywood Reporter if there were any roles he didn’t get that he wished he had, Hamill only had one answer. “Miloš Forman asked me to read actresses for the film version of Amadeus,” he revealed. “I said, ‘Miloš, I played Amadeus on Broadway and in the national tour, and I was wondering if there was a chance you’d consider me for the part.'”
The stage production, which served as the inspiration behind the Oscar-bothering drama, had seen Hamill inhabit the title role in the early 1980s, so he was more than familiar with the material. Despite his qualifications, Forman didn’t even consider having him audition for the picture, for one major reason.
“And he laughed,” he admitted, before recalling Forman’s explanation for turning him down: “No, no, no, because no one is to be believing that the Luke Spacewalker is the Mozart!” Not for the first time, Star Wars had become an albatross around his neck, with Tom Hulce ultimately given the job.
Not that he let it get him down, though. Hamill acknowledged that “it was disappointing,” but countered by offering that “everyone has their own trajectory.” All he wanted to do was “make a living doing what I love to do,” which he has. He “didn’t want to be Tom Cruise,” which he isn’t, but by his standards, he’s “succeeded far beyond my expectations,” Amadeus or not.
