Mark Hamill was and remains best known for playing Luke Skywalker in the originalStar Warstrilogy. He would reprise the role for the three Disney sequels from 2015 to 2019, but he’s also played a de-agedLuke inThe MandalorianandThe Book of Boba Fett. Outside of his time spent in a galaxy far, far away, however, Hamill has taken on a variety of roles big and small, across many genres.
In addition to Luke, Hamill is widely associated with the role of the Joker, a character he has voiced in various animated DC Comics projects and video games, includingBatman: The Killing Joke(2016). Voice acting work, in general, remains a major part of Hamill’s acting career, but he also continues to appear in front of the camera.One genre that Hamill has not worked very frequently in is horror, but that changed after he scored a meaty role in a miniseries from horror maestro Mike Flanagan, the creator of shows likeThe Haunting of Hill HouseandMidnight Mass.
Mark Hamill Explains Working With Mike Flanagan In The Fall Of The House Of Usher
The Netflix Horror Show Was A Different Kind Of Experience
Hamill explains howThe Fall of the House of Ushermarked an exciting career shift for him. Released on Netflix in 2023 and loosely based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, the Mike Flanagan horror series chronicles the downfall of the Usher family and their pharmaceutical empire.The Fall of the House of Ushercastfeatures a handful of impressive actors and frequent Flanagan collaborators, including Carla Gugino, Kate Siegel, Henry Thomas, and Bruce Greenwood, with Hamill playing Usher family attorney Arthur Pym.
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Mike Flanagan is known for lovingly crafting dynamic characters, filling out some of modern-day horror’s most terrifying films and T.V. shows.
During a recent interview on thePolitickin’podcast, Hamill reflects on his role as Pym inThe Fall of the House of Usher, revealing that the part marked an interesting shift for his acting career. Though he initially wasn’t sure how he wanted to play Pym,Hamill reveals that he ended up finding one key aspect of the character while on set: the monotone voice.
What made Pym inThe Fall of the House of Ushersuch an interesting departure for Hamill wasn’t just the voice, he explains, but thatit was an “atypical” role that he got to do outside his voice-acting booth. Flanagan’s trust in him to play the character ended up cementing their creative partnership. Check out Hamill’s comment below:
“I was asked to play this amoral, soulless, sociopath lawyer who covers up for— He’s the long lifelong attorney for the Usher family. Just pure evil. And when I read script, I thought, ‘Oh my god, I don’t have no idea how I will approach this. But if Mike thinks I can do it, I’ve got to do it.’ So I agreed. And it was scary because you know, normally you have some concept of how you should play this character, what the script requires from you to make it all work. […]
So, the last element that came, we went to do the first scene on my first day of work with Madeline and Roderick, the brother and sister that are the head Ushers. And I didn’t plan this, but when I started talking, [does character’s voice] ‘I started talking like this…’ Because I wanted to impart this deadness in him. And later in the morning, when Mike walked past, he said, ‘Love the voice.’ And I thought, ‘I’m home.’ Because once you have the blessing of your director…
I did atypical roles all the time in voiceover… but this was the first time I was ever getting to do it on camera. And I’m really grateful for him. I formed a real bond with him.”
What Hamill’s Fall Of The House Of Usher Role Means For His Career
He Already Has Another Flanagan Collaboration Lined Up
As seen in the chart below,reviews forThe Fall of the House of Usherwere generally very positive, with praise aimed at Flanagan’s writing and directing, as well as the strong performances. As withThe Haunting of Hill House,The Haunting of Bly Manor, andMidnight Mass, Flanagan delivers some truly chilling imagery in the series, as well as some shocking and gruesome death scenes. Though Hamill’s role as Pym is less flashy than some of the other parts, the character is ultimately a key ingredient in the show.
90%
81%
73/100
6.4
After bidding farewell to Pym with theFall of the House of Usherending, Hamill is set to return to the horror genre withThe Long Walk, a Stephen King adaptation from director Francis Lawrence. ThoughThe Long Walkmarks his only upcoming horror project, Hamill has reunited with Flanagan for a new film.
Lawrence is best known as the director responsible for four of the fiveHunger Gamesmovies.
Hamill appears in Flanagan’sThe Life of Chuck, which just recently won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. The movie’s reception at the festival was overwhelmingly positive, and Neon ended up acquiring the movie and slating its theatrical release for 2025. Though it’s not clear if Hamill will ever appear in another project quite likeThe Fall of the House of Usher, it’s clear the project was a major milestone in his career.
Our Take On Hamill’s Fall Of The House Of Usher Role
It Marked A Strong Shift Away From Luke Skywalker
Hamill has been most closely associated withLuke andStar Warsfor close to five decades now. Though he seemingly has no problem with this and could very well continue to play the character through digital de-aging,it’s still refreshing to see him take on a role that’s so wildly different from someone he’s played before. Pym may not be as scene-stealing as the Joker, but he ends up being one of the most prominent characters inThe Fall of the House of Usheras members of the Usher family start dropping dead around him.
It hasn’t yet been announced who Hamill is playing inThe Long Walkadaptation, but it would be refreshing to see him taking on another character who lets him deliver a new kind of performance. Considering his positive experience with Flanagan,the next few years could see the pair collaborating on other projects, opening the door for more unique performances. Some upcoming Flanagan projects include aDark TowerTV show, a reboot ofThe Exorcist, aCarrieTV show, and aClayfacemovie for DC Studios, and Hamill could be right at home in any one of them.
The Fall of the House of Usher
Cast
Loosely based on the story by Edgar Allan Poe, The Fall of the House of Usher is a horror drama mini-series created by Mike Flanagan (Midnight Mass, The Haunting of Hill House) for Netflix. This modern retelling follows a corrupt pharmaceutical CEO, Roderick Usher, as he is forced to reckon with his past as a curse begins to claim the lives of each of his children.
