MovieChat Forums > Time Runner (1993) Discussion > It must be sad

It must be sad

posted 19 years ago by lukesp13
15 replies | jump to latest

It must be sad knowing that nothing you ever do will ever be as great as your big break. Im talkin about Mark Hammil. Star Wars is pretty much his whole acting career and is to this day one of the most successful wideley known films ever. It just kind of sucks that the one great thing he did with his life happend so early, so that any other film he does after Star Wars will completely suck in comparison. It kind of helped and hindered his career at the same time if you think about it.

[–] yankee242B 18 years ago

To be honest, it's mostly his fault.

While Star Wars was (and still is) a spectacularly successful movie, Hammil is not a good actor. He wasn't great in Star Wars (any of them) -- but I couldn't imagine Luke in any other way. But if he was a good (or even decent) actor, his career would have continued and been more successful.

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] eeoulo 18 years ago

While I have to confess I haven't seen him in very many roles. After just having looked at his list of credits I'm guessing you're impressed with his voice over work (mostly in video games) or something because the rest sure seems like crap. Yes I realize that a person can do a great job of acting and everything else about the role/movie are garbage but when it's role after role it sorta lends itself to the talents of the actor as well..

just my 3cents (aint inflation a bitch!)

[–] jayanxiety 13 years ago

He's an amazing actor. I'm sick of all the people who think Harrison Ford was the best actor out of the main cast. While I like him and enjoy his films, Ford plays basically the same character in all his films. He could never play a psycho or other villain, while Hamill can play the hero, the psycho, the geek or funny man. Also, he can totally change his look from film to film. Ford showed in K-19 that he can't convincingly change his own voice, while to Mark it comes naturally. By the way, it was Mark who chose to lower his profile following the SW trilogy, chosing family life and stage work for years, returning to films in 1989 with Slipstream.

[–] lynxfeld 18 years ago

You might try reading his bio here on IMDB. He was in a disfiguring car crash in `76. Do you think that maybe, just MAYBE that and all the reconstructive surguries he had to endure might have had something to do with it?

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] Crurned 16 years ago

Sadly, casting in Hollywood ask for 'pretty boys' in most of the roles. It's sad that this has turned into a rule. On the other hand, he's an awesome and respected voice actor.

Save the animals! Skin and eat a PETA activist.

[–] MexicanSting 15 years ago

"You might try reading his bio here on IMDB. He was in a disfiguring car crash in `76. Do you think that maybe, just MAYBE that and all the reconstructive surguries he had to endure might have had something to do with it?"

No, seeing as how he filmed Empire and Jedi after the accident.

Besides, I don't see why you all feel so bad for him, he's still a really big name in nerd circles. I guess none of you guys are Batman fans.

"Most people who claim to be teachers or leaders are really just propagandists." - Mos Def

[–] Komodo_Gold 14 years ago

I think the real problem for Mark Hamill is that he's a victim of typecasting. Once an actor or actress is afflicted with that, it really lowers their chances of getting work outside of what they're known for.

Watch just about anything else besides the Star Wars Original Trilogy with Mark Hamill acting in it, and try not to imagine him as Luke Skywalker. I'm sure you're going to want him to just bust out a lightsaber at some point in the movie to deflect all those shots coming at him lol.

Even the Simpsons jokes about this. There was that one episode where Homer became Mayor Quimby's bodyguard, and Mark Hamill came in as Luke Skywalker. Louie the gangster even mocks him. Just about any appearances of Mark in Family Guy also shows him as Luke as well (of course, Seth Macfarlane is a big Star Wars geek). And if you watch Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Mark even parodies himself in it.

"You're all talk Hamill! You never even finished Jedi school!"

Good thing he's found plenty of work in voice acting at least.

I think the same thing happened to William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. You can't help but look at them and think "Kirk and Spock".

Ford was pretty lucky to break out of that problem. Of course, had he not been cast as Indiana Jones (I think they said Tom Selleck was supposed to be Indy originally), he may also have been known as nothing more than Han Solo.

[–] tytianacs 14 years ago

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!

I have been thinking and saying this for years. This goes for Mark, William and Leonard and many other actors out there in this position! As stated by another poster, Harrison, in my opinion, never completely escaped this so-called 'curse' (although he tried like holy hell to do so!!!) Think about it. After all of the roles he has done since Star Wars (Deckard, Indy, Jack Ryan and etc. .) has he really been know as any one but 'Han'?

It's a shame because all of these actors are truly talented in their own special ways!

[–] zorkorr 17 years ago

They say that an actor who gets even one lucky break in Hollywood is very lucky indeed. Very few strike big success more than once. I mean, they do go on to do other things, but they are remembered for one big role. Harrison Ford made good a few times with Han Solo, Indy Jones, Jack Ryan, etc. But even he can't keep that kind of momentum forever. Once in a while, he does his fair share of films like "Hollywood Homocide", lol

[–] mdl555 16 years ago

yeah it's too bad mark hamill didn't have much of an acting career after star wars, but he does seem to be pretty prolific as a voice actor...as long as you're still bringing home the bacon, i guess you can't complain

[–] bek-12 10 years ago

It's 2013, 7 years later, and Mark Hamill is still a zillionaire. Not that sad.

[–] mikekaraoke23 10 years ago

While he didn't have the career of Mr Ford I did like him and he is also known for: obv Time Runner, The Big Red One, Slipstream, Sleepwalkers, Airborne, his performances on episodes: Amazing Stories+ The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents,seaQuest DSV, and last but not least his brill Voice over work for the Joker on Batman +Avatar: The Last Airbender etc

[–] luxerus 9 years ago

You clearly didn't know what you were talking about in 2005, because Mark Hamill is back in the greatest shape of his life for Star Wars episode VII.