Mark Hamill is an undisputed pop culture icon—the man who put the “star” in “Star Wars” and a real burr under Darth Vader’s saddle. His performance as Luke Skywalker represents, for millions of people, the ultimate hero’s journey, inspiring countless imitators. But Hamill is much more than a Jedi, because he’s also a legend in the voice acting industry. The actor has long talked about his dream of doing VO from a very young age, and by now he’s almost as famous for his voice as he is for his face. From small cameos and celebrity stunt casting to completely transforming his voice and redefining iconic characters, Hamill has done it all.
Not every up-and-comer is going to have, say, the lead role in a “Star Wars” film on their résumé when they start doing voice acting. But Hamill’s career is still an inspiration and an example of how you can shed typecasting and transform yourself for projects both big and small.
“Batman: The Animated Series” (1992–1994) - The Joker
Other than Luke Skywalker, this is without a doubt Hamill’s most famous role. Eschewing the innocence of his “Star Wars” character, Hamill borrowed from the hint-of-madness he showed in 1983 while playing Mozart on Broadway in Peter Shaffer’s “Amadeus.” Honing his laugh to create a distinct take on Batman’s biggest foe, Hamill crafted a performance that’s widely considered to be one of the best portrayals of the supervillain ever, regardless of medium. The most important takeaway for aspiring voiceover actors? Hamill was sure his audition was a waste of time.
“When I went in, I thought, Do you think they’re going to hire Luke Skywalker to play the Joker? The fans would lose their minds. I was so sure that I couldn’t be cast, so I was completely relaxed,” he told Wired. “I knew I couldn’t get the part, so who cares? And I drove out of the parking lot thinking, That’s the best Joker they’ll ever hear, and it’s too bad they can’t cast me. And as soon as they did cast me, that reversed. I was like, Oh no, I can’t do this!”
Since his first appearance in a 1992 episode of “Batman: The Animated Series,” Hamill balances zaniness and true menace in his Joker, often in the same scene. Then there’s his trademark laugh: a blood-curdling sound that masks absolute cruelty and sadism. If it wasn’t for “Star Wars,” this would undoubtedly be Hamill’s signature, one he’s continued to reprise in TV series, animated films, and video games ever since.
“The Simpsons” (1998) - Himself / Leavelle
Want an example of Hamill’s commitment to voice acting? When one of his dream projects, “The Simpsons,” asked him to play himself, he agreed—but he also “begged them to give me a secondary character where you didn’t recognize me,” he told Showsha. That’s how he ended up playing both “Mark Hamill” and a barely heard bodyguard instructor named Leavelle in the 1998 episode “Mayored to the Mob.”
Hamill has played himself a few times, both in live action and animation, but his guest star role here ranks among his very best. It’s an interesting exercise to listen to his “real” voice alongside any other example on his IMDb page; you get a sense of his impressive range. Plus, Hamill’s enthusiasm for poking fun at himself (and Luke Skywalker) makes for one iconic “Simpsons” episode—especially when he starts singing, “Luke, be a Jedi tonight,” in a production of “Guys and Dolls.” This appearance opened the door for Hamill to portray himself on shows like “Pepper Ann” and “Robot Chicken” (where he also does a great Harrison Ford voice).
“Castle in the Sky” (2003) - Colonel Muska
Hamill, in direct opposition to his live-action image, tends to portray villains. Such is the case when he was tapped to play one of the few properly antagonistic Studio Ghibli characters in the Disney-produced English dub of Hayao Miyazaki’s “Castle in the Sky.” Hamill fully leans into cartoonish evilness, giving Muska a maniacal twinge not too far from the Joker, but grounding the performance and masking it with authority. His performance is the standout of that particular English cast, and it paved the way for Hamill to continue doing Ghibli dubs all the way up to Miyazaki’s 2023 film, “The Boy and the Heron.”
“Avatar: The Last Airbender” (2005–2008) - Fire Lord Ozai
When it comes to children’s cartoons in the 2000s, there are few villains quite as evil as Fire Lord Ozai, the man who burnt his son’s face in retribution for speaking out of turn. While Ozai seeks to conquer the entire world and serve as a dictator, what makes Hamill’s performance unique is how often he plays it reserved and stoic. He crafts a cold, detached presence in a character who doesn’t degrade himself with emotion he considers beneath him. So when Ozai finally shows emotion, mostly anger, it’s always a truly horrifying moment.
“Regular Show” (2010–2017) - Skips
This is one of Hamill’s few non-villain roles—and arguably his funniest. Though Hamill has several voices on the Cartoon Network favorite “Regular Show,” Skips is undoubtedly his best, an immortal yeti and quite helpful friend who always gets his coworkers out of trouble. Much more laid-back than many of his other animated portrayals, Skips gives Hamill a chance to subvert and play around with the parts of his past. His gruff delivery mixes echoes of his more evil characters with a warmth and charm that make for a character you can’t help but love.