Mark Hamill leaves Luke Skywalker behind and rediscovers himself in ‘The Life of Chuck'
Mark Hamill is quick to point out that he considers the Bay Area his true home, and not just because he was born in Oakland or that it's where ' Star Wars ' first took shape in the mind of creator George Lucas.
Although Hamill's family moved frequently due to his father's career as a U.S. Navy captain — with stints in Virginia and San Diego — the actor speaks about the Bay Area with an authentic fondness. He still has family here, including his older brother William, a psychiatrist, and Hamill says he has visited often.
'San Francisco is where my second son was born, when I was (onstage) in 'Amadeus,'' Hamill told the Chronicle by phone from Los Angeles, where he's lived for decades since starting his acting career. 'So many great restaurants. It's one of my favorite cities of all time.'
That appreciation for place and for life's small joys has taken on deeper meaning for the 73-year-old actor, who helped launch the 'Star Wars' franchise as Luke Skywalker back in 1977. He and his wife escaped the Los Angeles fires in January. Their Malibu home survived thanks to an extensive water protection system they installed after fires threatened their home in the early 1990s, but is inhabitable for now because of the condition of the neighborhood.
He said they took a one-year lease on a house and will likely have to extend it, though they hope to eventually return to the home that means so much to them. ('We were married in the backyard,' Hamill said.)
Meanwhile, Hamill is keeping busy with work, reveling in what he thinks is one of his best roles in the life-affirming movie ' The Life of Chuck,' which is currently in theaters.
In the film, directed by horror veteran Mike Flanagan, Hamill delivers a standout onscreen monologue. Considering that the speech extols the hidden allure of mathematics, on the surface not the most exciting of subjects, it clearly took an actor of significant skill to pull off.
'It's funny because math was never my strong suit in school,' Hamill said with a laugh. 'He's a sort of unremarkable man who probably drinks a little too much and is probably dull company, but he's absolutely electrified by math. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do in my life, because there's no real through line, and his passion is not my passion, but it defines who the character is.'
Based on a Stephen King novella, ' The Life of Chuck ' is a the story of a man's life told in three sections in reverse chronological order. There is an apocalyptic opening chapter starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Karen Gillan, followed by glimpses of Chuck Krantz's life. Tom Hiddleston plays Chuck as an adult, while Benjamin Pajak and Cody Flanagan play him as children.
Hamill appears in the film's second half as Albie Krantz, Chuck's alcoholic grandfather, a man blind to the beauty in his own story, even in its brightest chapters. His character crucially acts as a counterpoint to the film, which celebrates life even while acknowledging its transience.
'There's so much that I got to take away from Mark,' Benjamin, now 14, told the Chronicle in a separate video interview. 'One of the things is that he stays in his character the whole day. He became Albie Krantz. It was a little scary at times — scary in a good way because he completely transformed into the character and he made a hell of a performance out of it. Spending that time with him is just moments that will stick with me forever.'
When told of Benjamin's comments, Hamill said, 'I learned from him! I wish he was my real grandson.'
As for the film, Hamill said audience reaction has been 'a revelation.' He had been nervous because, 'I didn't expect to ever be in anything this original again.'
'I love hearing back from people,' Hamill said. 'I didn't see it with an audience until the Toronto Film Festival (in September). I was just astonished at how they were with us from the get go. They laughed and applauded. At the end, there were people who had tears in their eyes.'
Hamill added that people have told him that it reminds them of the Frank Capra classic 'It's a Wonderful Life' (1946).
But while his character might not be able to appreciate life during adversity, Hamill says he most certainly does.
He is as much in demand as ever. He was given a lifetime achievement award at April's CinemaCon and soon will be seen in another King adaptation, 'The Long Walk,' a dystopian horror film. It is Hamill's third King adaptation; prior to 'The Life of Chuck,' he appeared in 'Sleepwalkers' (1991), filmed in Bodega Bay.
One role he appears to be moving on from, however, is Luke Skywalker, whom he recently voiced in the Disney+ limited series 'Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy' (2024). He told NBC's 'Sunday Today' program recently that future planned 'Star Wars' series are focused on new characters, and he's OK with that.
'I had my time,' he told 'Sunday Today' host Willie Geist.
He later walked that back a bit, emphasizing that he had not been asked to reprise the role and that he assumed the character's death ended things.
But he hopes to work again with Flanagan, whom he met when the filmmaker cast him as Arthur Pym in the Netflix series ' The Fall of the House of Usher ' (2023), based on Edgar Allan Poe's short story. After that, Flanagan immediately wanted him for 'The Life of Chuck.'
'Mike is just a really nice person,' Hamill said. 'I've never seen him lose his temper or get angry and when you go on one of his sets, it's a safe place. And as good a director as he is, he's really underrated as a writer.'
He added he'd play anything for Flanagan, whether it involved math or not.
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