Mark Hamill, known primarily for his role as Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars series, has voiced the comic book villain known as The Joker on and off for the last 18 years. He will be retiring from the role of the Joker after this year.
Hamill’s career
According to the International Mark Hamill Fan Club website, Hamill was born in Oakland, to a large family in September of 1951. He made his professional acting debut on the Cosby Show in 1971, and would go on to star in television shows like General Hospital and The Texas Wheelers.
In 1977 he would make his film debut in Star Wars and would star in its two sequels The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
After Star Wars, Hamill would go on to make movies and also do guest appearances in television shows, such as Just Shoot Me and the Flash. He also went on to star in various theater productions.
Hamill would also lend his voice to different cartoons for the next several years, including the Simpsons, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Spiderman: The Animated Series.
An avid comic book fan, Hamill is also the writer of the comic book series, The Black Pearl.
Getting the role of the Joker and voicing the character
Hamill was originally denied the part of the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series (BTAS), as the producers had already cast Tim Curry. Hamill was brought in guest star in the episode “Heart of Ice” as a one-time appearance. After Curry dropped out of the role, Hamill was one of the first choices to replace Curry.
In an interview, Paul Dini, producer and writer for BTAS, said Hamill nailed the role of the Joker perfectly.
“The second we heard that scary laugh, we knew we had the Joker,” Dini said.
Bruce Timm and Alan Burnett, producers of BTAS, said that the Joker, who in the comics has been depiected anywhere from a homicidal maniac to a comical character, could not kill in the show.
“Instead of murdering people we would have him give them that hideous Joker grin which on its own way almost worse,” Timm said.
Hamill said that one of the things that of the things that informs the Joker is his laugh.
“His laugh should be like a musical instrument,” Hamill said. “It should sort of illustrate his mood.”
Hamill said he would practice the Joker’s laugh on the way to the recording sessions. He also said that he would stand up during recording sessions.
“I thought to energize the character, to shake my fists, I’ve felt I got to stand up,” Hamill said. “I’ve always thought I was in a radio drama.
Hamill’s different Joker moments
Hamill played the Joker in 15 of the 85 episodes in BTAS. He also played the Joker on various DC Comics related animated series and animated movies, including The New Batman/Superman adventures, Justice League, and Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.
Kevin Conroy, who has played Batman about as many years as Hamill has played the Joker, said that Hamill played an extraordinary Joker.
“His face transforms and he kind of devours the microphone,” Conroy said. “It’s something to watch. The two of us interact really well since we’ve been doing this for so long.”
Hamill has also voiced the Joker on DC Comics video games. Most recently he lent his voice on the 2009 hit Batman: Arkham Asylum, and the upcoming titles: DC Universe Online and Batman: Arkham City.
Actors who have also played The Joker
After Hamill took a long break from voicing the Joker in 2004, other performers have stepped up to voice the Clown Prince of Crime.
Veteran voice actors like John DiMaggio (Batman Under the Red Hood), Jeff Bennent (Batman: The Brave and the Bold) and Kevin Michael Richardson (The Batman) have voiced the Joker in animation.
According to an interview with IGN, Hamill spoke positively of Heath Ledger’s award winning performance of the Joker in The Dark Knight.
“He was the most joyless Joker,” Hamill said. “Not a hint of theatricality; he was almost like a heroin addict. It never would have occurred to me, and that’s why it was so delightful and surprising.”
The Last Hurrah
According to an interview with the Animation World Network, Hamill said that what he liked about voicing the Joker was his villiany and the different kinds of laughter he brought to the character.
“Instead of having it be one continuous laugh, I could use it like a color on the canvas,” Hamill said. “There could be sinister laughs, there could be joyful, gleeful, maniacal laughs, there could be malevolent and evil laughs.”
“I do have to thank the people at Batman, because this work opened an entire new career for me.”
In the interview with the IGN, Hamill said that this role would be his last as the Joker.
“There’s no question about that,” Hamill said. “But it’s the last hurrah.”
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