Mark Hamill: King Of Voice Roles

<P><A HREF="/sh/entertainment/atthemovies/tims-bio.html"><IMG SRC="/sh/images/editorial/tim_lammers.jpg" ALIGN="LEFT" WIDTH="120" HEIGHT="90" BORDER="0"></A> Perhaps James Earl Jones' Darth Vader was <I>the voice</I> of the original "Star Wars" trilogy, but it's <A HREF="http://www.fragcity.com/cgi-bin/tame.cgi/fragstore/index.tam">Mark Hamill</A> &#150;- the artist formerly known as Luke Skywalker -&#150; whose vocal cords have taken Hollywood by <I>force</I> every since.<p /><P><IMG SRC="http://images.ibsys.com/2000/1106/157808.jpg" WIDTH="150" HEIGHT="190" ALT="Mark Hamill" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="5" BORDER="0">Hamill has earned a solid reputation over the last decade by lending his voice talents to hundreds of animated character roles ranging from the Joker on the "Batman" animated series to various voices on "The Simpsons" (including playing himself), "Spider Man," "The Incredible Hulk," "The Fantastic Four," "Cow and Chicken," "Scooby Doo" and many more projects.<p /><P>We'll be hearing something new from Hamill again this week, when the animated family feature "<A HREF="http://www.dreamworks.com">Joseph: King of Dreams</A>" is released exclusively on home video and DVD. As a parent himself, he's proud that "Joseph" is a poignant film that the entire family can enjoy.<p /><P>"It's so gratifying, I'm sure, to parents to see that their kids can respond to something like this and that it doesn't have to be junk," Hamill told me in a recent interview. "I'm not totally against junk &#150;- have a Twinkie or two -&#150; but don't think of it as real food."<p /><P>"Joseph," which is made by the same team that produced "The Prince of Egypt," was actually was well into production before that hit film was released to theaters, Hamill said. Based on the classic Bible story, the film tells the incredible journey of Joseph (voiced by Ben Affleck), a boy who has the extraordinary gift of seeing the future in his dreams.<p /><P>Since Joseph is already his father's favorite, the realization of his gift sparks a deep division within his family. Blinded by jealousy, the brothers secretly sell Joseph into slavery, launching him on a 20-year journey in which he is ultimately faced with the challenge of forgiveness. Hamill voices the pivotal role of Judah, the eldest of the 11 brothers.<p /><P><IMG SRC="http://images.ibsys.com/2000/1106/157822.jpg" WIDTH="134" HEIGHT="200" ALT="Joseph: King of Dreams DVD" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="5" BORDER="0">"When I was reading the script, I thought people were really going to loathe this guy because selling his brother into slavery is such a drastic and irrevocable act," Hamill told me. "But (the filmmakers) reassured me that he's redeemed at the end. I was just surprised at how moving it was because as it happens, I did that scene without Ben Affleck. I've never even met him, and yet they were able to bring it together with overlapped lines. I was just amazed at the artistry they demonstrated.<p /><P>"You feel a scene that has that kind of nuance that you would have to be in the same room with the guy. I think it shows that animation is the best example of what composite art moviemaking is. You give the filmmakers all these jigsaw puzzle pieces, and then they go away and put it together."<p /><P>Hamill further explained that those pieces are not only aplenty as a whole, but aplenty from each actor.<p /><P>"I might give them 10 different line readings purposefully," Hamill told me. "I might say, 'Let me do this line, and I'll start out being this way and getting increasingly the way you want me to be and go past that' so they have degrees that they can use from take one to take 15."<p /><H3>Animation Biz Is No Joke(r)</H3> Of course, to say that Hamill is well established as a film actor is a gross understatement. But perhaps the greatest training for his animated roles is grounded in the theater. He's won several accolades on Broadway for many different roles, which range from playing Mozart in "Amadeus" to John Merrick in "The Elephant Man."<p /><P><IMG SRC="http://images.ibsys.com/2000/1106/157947.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150" ALT="Hamill in Amadeus" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="5" BORDER="0">"I really felt that Broadway was where I'm going to get to do the sort of stuff I did in college and high school. But then I came back to Los Angeles mostly because I wanted to write and create my own product, and I knew all the contacts and the meetings I would need to have were there," Hamill explained to me. <P> "The irony of ironies is that probably the best part I've have since Broadway is the Joker in the animated 'Batman' series &#150;- in terms of the sheer joy of the over-the-top histrionics," Hamill said. "This is such a great character. Aside from Moriarty to Holmes, there's no greater Yin and Yang than Batman and the Joker."<p /><P>Ironically, because of the depth of those characters, because of the complex situations in which they find themselves, there has been controversy surrounding the upcoming feature-length animated video release, "<A HREF="http://www.batmanbeyond.com">Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker</A>." <P> Hamill tells me that he doesn't just suspect -- he knows that the holdup is because of the mature level of the material in the video. Of course, one of the greatest misconceptions of animation is that it is a "kids-only" medium, which couldn't be any further from the truth. And while he says "Joseph" is clearly a film for all ages, "Return of the Joker" is no doubt meant for more mature audiences.<p /><P>The debate about the content is so intense, in fact, that Hamill says a scheduled premiere of the film three weeks ago was postponed, as well as a slate of promotional events surrounding it.<p /><P>"I called (voice director) Andrea Romano, and she was just crestfallen," Hamill said. "She said an executive stormed out of the screening room, saying, 'I won't even advertise this on my network.' Mind you, it was <I>never intended</I> to be shown on the network, but they certainly were going to advertise it. I'm sure it has to do with this current climate that Hollywood has been known to market movies to inappropriate audiences."<p /><P><IMG SRC="http://images.ibsys.com/2000/1106/157740.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150" ALT="Return of the Joker" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="5" BORDER="0">The thing is, Hamill isn't trying to pretend that "Return of the Joker" it is a movie made for young kids. In fact, he admits that if the movie were made in live-action form, it might be "hard-pressed to get a PG-13 rating."<p /><P>"There's no bad language in it. It's just so much the stuff of comic books," Hamill explained. "The objectionable scene to them was the fact that the Joker kidnaps Robin. That's one taboo: You're not supposed to threaten or harm children in any way, and our Robin looks like a young boy, he doesn't look like the grown-up from the movies. Then, Joker brainwashes him and urges him to shoot a gun at the climax of the picture. That was enough to upset the apple cart."<p /><P>Whether that element was deemed appropriate or not by the powers that be, Hamill wishes that a decision had made early on to avoid the current mess.<p /><P>"What I find really unforgivable is they had this picture on their desk in storyboard form two years ago," Hamill said. "Why do you wait until it is filmed and scored and finished before you flee the screening room? There's no other form of entertainment that is more easily micromanaged than animation.<p /><P>"It's not like live action, where an actor can give a performance or handle a prop in a way that you didn't anticipate on the printed page. For a control freak, stop-frame and line-drawing animation is the ultimate because it's (filmed at) 22 frames per second, and you know at any given time exactly what the effect is going to be."<p /><H3>'A Long Time Ago ...'</H3> Of course, you can't do a Mark Hamill interview without mentioning the original "Star Wars" trilogy, which catapulted his career into the stratosphere 23 years ago. And like the indelible impressions left by such actors as <A HREF="/sh/entertainment/atthemovies/stories/atthemovies-20000914-174618.html">Sigourney Weaver</A> in the "Alien" series and <A HREF="/sh/entertainment/atthemovies/stories/atthemovies-20000623-202722.html">Janet Leigh</A> in "Psycho," Hamill is completely comfortable with his identification as Luke Skywalker to the masses.<p /><P><IMG SRC="http://images.ibsys.com/2000/1106/158112.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150" ALT="Hamill in The Empire Strikes Back" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="5" BORDER="0">"For the most part, it's really a positive experience in that the fans are so young, and they need an optimistic message like those in the 'Star Wars' pictures," Hamill said. "I'm really proud of being a part of something that was so uplifting and optimistic for young people."<p /><P>That's not to say that there isn't a downside to the fame that he's acquired from the films. One major turnoff, Hamill said, is how he is used personally to line the pockets of those who take marketing elements of the films and make them a "voracious memorabilia and merchandising machine."<p /><P>"I can't go to airports anymore where people want just one autograph &#150;- they want 34," Hamill said. "They have 10 posters, seven games and five light sabers, and so on. Don't get me wrong, I love the fans, but I don't feel comfortable aiding and abetting the dealers, because you know this stuff is going to go up on eBay.<p /><P>"You look bad if you <I>don't</I> sign 'Star Wars' stuff, but it's just like it never goes away. That's the part that's kind of unsettling to me. I said to my wife, 'Maybe I should just fly under a different name.' It's a real split: If a 7-year-old comes up to me, trembling, and tells me how much he loves the movies, you can't help but be moved by that.<p /><P>"But for the most part, it's like the comic book guy from 'The Simpsons' with just a satchel full of materials. I'm not exaggerating &#150;- I signed stuff for this guy and counted them at the end. There were 34 different items, and I personalized them all because he said, 'Yeah, personalize them because I'm not going to sell them.'<p /><P><IMG SRC="http://images.ibsys.com/2000/1106/157792.jpg" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="150" ALT="Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford in Star Wars" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="5" BORDER="0">"That convinced me that there must be some way to remove Magic Marker from items now. They used to say, 'Oh, don't personalize it because I don't know who I'm going to give it to,' and then you knew. It's just one of those things where you shrug your shoulders and say, 'That's show biz,' and you move on."<p /><P>Speaking of moving on, Hamill has clearly maintained the delicate balance of his current career as a voice maestro with his past fame in three of the highest-grossing films of all time. Though I'm quite sure that I asked him some questions that he's heard countless times before, he defined the term "enthusiasm" during our interview and was glowing in his positive outlook on the future. <P> That's not to say that he's ever going to abandon his "Star Wars" fans; he's simply more concerned about what happens tomorrow instead of yesterday.<p /><P>"I want to be respectful of my past and acknowledge it and yet never give up on believing what challenges lie ahead of you," Hamill explained to me. "It's a tricky wire to walk, really."<p /><P>But whether it's the past or the future, he loves what it all holds. For certain, it transcends people's perceptions of what it should be.<p /><P>"I am so grateful to be living my dream and being part of the creative community," Hamill said. "I'm always astonished with people who say, 'Gee, you must hate Harrison Ford.' I love Harrison Ford. I think he's one of the greatest actors ever. It's always a surprise to me that people would assume I'm unhappy that I'm not as successful as he is. It's ridiculous. It always comes down to the idea of being grateful for what you have or being covetous of what other people have. I have to say I love what I do and sure enjoy performing."<p /><P>And that mindset doesn't preclude him from directing. He's been at the helm of such projects as the upcoming "The Black Pearl" video game (based on a graphic novel that he co-created), and looks forward to projects in feature films.<p /><P>"I want to be as big a director as Rob Reiner or Brian DePalma, and I mean that from the standpoint of girth, not stature. I want to get fat and bald and not ever be photographed," Hamill said, laughing. "I don't want to get up at 6 in the morning and face the cameras. That's for the young, attractive people."<p /><H3>DVD Spotlight: 'Joseph: King Of Dreams'</H3> Since I've always maintained that a movie is at its best when it informs as well as entertains, it's great to see that the new DVD release of "<A HREF="http://www.dreamworks.com">Joseph: King of Dreams</A>" takes that approach with its intended audience in both the terms of the film itself and the content that encapsulates it.<p /><P>Spectacular voices and an incredibly moving storyline aside, what makes "Joseph" a "Dream" of a DVD are its efforts to extend the lessons taught in the film. A storybook section where a warm voice reads along to a caption will no doubt aid the younger set in grasping the film, while a separate "sing-along" section of three of the film's musical numbers caters to the advanced set. What makes this element especially pertinent is that the songs (composed by John Becchio) are memorable, most importantly "Better Than I," sung by Australian-born stage actor David Campbell.<p /><P>A song that starts as a subtle piano ballad that turns into powerful orchestral arrangement, "Better Than I" captures the essence of Joseph's character in a pivotal scene where he reflects on life while being wrongly imprisoned. If this film weren't a direct-to-video release, it would be a shoo-in for a best original song Oscar nomination.<p /><P>Other songs featured in the sing-along portion that are equally impressive include "More Than You Take" (featuring Campbell and "Little Mermaid" voice/singer Jodi Benson, who also voices Joseph's wife, Asenath) and "Miracle Child" (sung by Maureen McGovern, Russell Buchanan and Campbell).<p /><P>For those who like to explore the process of the film in its infancy, the "Joseph" DVD doesn't disappoint. Directors Rob DaLuca and Robert Ramirez are featured in an optional commentary section that highlights the film's fascinating storyboard process, which highlights scenes that did and didn't make the final cut.<p /><UL><LI><B>Next column:</B> Join me later this week as I blast off with Val Kilmer, Carrie-Anne Moss and Simon Baker on their voyage to the new science fiction thriller, "<A HREF="http://www.redplanetmovie.com">Red Planet</A>."<p /><P><I><B>Catch up with Tim on these recent @ The Movies interviews:</I></B> <UL> <LI><A HREF="/sh/entertainment/atthemovies/stories/atthemovies-20001013-131001.html">Christopher Guest ("Best in Show")</A> <LI><A HREF="/sh/entertainment/atthemovies/stories/atthemovies-20000914-174618.html">Sigourney Weaver ("A Map Of The World")</A> <LI><A HREF="/sh/entertainment/atthemovies/stories/atthemovies-20001005-112739.html">Sylvester Stallone ("Get Carter")</A> <LI><A HREF="/sh/entertainment/atthemovies/stories/atthemovies-20000922-023731.html">Bruce Campbell ("The Evil Dead" Trilogy)</A> <LI><A HREF="/sh/entertainment/atthemovies/stories/atthemovies-20001018-231132.html">Richard O'Brien ("The Rocky Horror Picture Show")</A> <LI><A HREF="/sh/entertainment/atthemovies/stories/atthemovies-20000928-190325.html">Edward Burns ("Stories From Long Island" Trilogy)</A> </UL><p /><B><I>More Movies:</I></B> <LI><A HREF="http://www.infospace.com//cinema/search.htm?searchtype=hs">Local Movie Times</A> <LI><A HREF="/sh/entertainment/news/articles/natlphae-entnews-archive-20000505-225259.html">More Recent Movie Reviews</A> <LI><A HREF="/entertainment/nowshowing/">Now Showing Pages</A> <LI><A HREF="/sh/entertainment/atthemovies/archive.html">@ The Movies Archive</A> <LI><A HREF="/sh/entertainment/videovault/articles/natlphae-vidvault--990607-094650.html">Video Vault Reviews</A><p /><P> <H5><CENTER>To have @ The Movies delivered right to your e-mail box for free, <A HREF="/news/email-newsletters.html">click here</A>.</H5></CENTER>