Mark Hamill and His Voice No Longer on Speaking Terms
OAKLAND, CA – After a harrowing ordeal of non-stop speaking engagements, Mark Hamill’s voice has emancipated itself and vowed to never again work with his former partner. The sudden move comes on the heels of Star Wars Celebration Orlando, the four-day convention where Hamill forced his pipes to work well beyond the standard 8-hour union days typical for industry voices.
“Listen, Mark and I had a great run but this is really for the best. We need a break from each other,” said Hamill’s voice from a wellness retreat in Sedona, Arizona.
The long-time partners have worked together exclusively for nearly 65 years. From their early beginnings in soap operas to their big break with Star Wars, Hamill and his voice have been inseparable. Still, the relationship was not without its ups and downs. Most notably, the pair had a falling out in 1997 when Hamill’s voice went behind his back to record a much derided scream for the Special Edition of The Empire Strikes Back.
According to Hamill’s voice: “George [Lucas] asked me to do him the favor, because he knew Mark didn’t care for the idea. So I waited until Hamster fell asleep, and I friggin’ nailed that scream – critics be damned.”
Upon discovering the betrayal, Hamill gave his voice the cold shoulder and refused to work with him. The partners went an entire two weeks without speaking to each other. Finally, Lucas – perhaps out of guilt for his role in the spat – helped Hamill and his voice reach a mutual understanding. Each agreed to never take jobs without verbal consent from the other.
The Hamill Voice Accord lasted for nearly 17 years before temptation reared its ugly head. By this time, Hamill and his voice had launched a very successful and critically acclaimed career in voiceovers. Understandably, Hamill’s voice sought to rearrange the terms of his contract with Hamill, since the bulk of their work was now done without the need for Hamill’s likeness.
After tense negotiations, a new agreement was reached, but both sides felt resentment towards the other; Hamill for his voice being such a demanding diva; his voice for needing to negotiate for what he felt should have been offered up years ago. Unfortunately for Hamill, news of his voice being difficult to work with began to circulate throughout Tinseltown. This couldn’t have come at a worse time as Disney, fresh from its $4 billion purchase of Lucasfilm, was gearing up to start shooting a Star Wars sequel trilogy.
Originally director J.J. Abrams considered using Lucas’ outline for Episode VII, which would have centered around Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia. But once Hamill’s voice mouthed off to Abrams one day, the director scrapped the outline, and hired screenwriter Michael Arndt to feature all-new characters in starring roles with the returning faces relegated to supporting roles.
Not one to take no for an answer, Hamill’s voice gave Abrams the business yet again during a second run-in. Hamill tried his best to walk away, but his voice screamed loud enough for his insults to be heard. As a result, Abrams released Arndt and hired Lawrence “Larry Larr” Kasdan to further minimize Luke’s role in the film.
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In the end, Hamill appeared in The Force Awakens for one scene, which was one more than his voice. Because, for the first time in their long and storied careers together, Hamill landed a role that did not require the services of his voice. Hamill’s voice was enraged. He had been muted by Abrams for demanding more screen time. Hamill took the high road, however, and consoled his voice, giving him hope that Episode VIII would certainly feature the two of them in a speaking role.
Of course, Hamill’s consolations came true as The Last Jedi stars Luke and his voice in much more prominent roles. Everything seemed to be going well… until Star Wars Celebration Orlando tore the partners apart again. At first Hamill’s voice agreed to be part of a select group of panels during the convention, but Hamill began volunteering them for multiple unofficial speaking engagements with random fans every minute of every day until the wee hours of the night.
“After the two marquee panels, I basically gave him [Mark] a gag order. I was done with telling the same stories to the same people. Naming his final panel Hamill Himself — with me right there with him — was the last straw” said Hamill’s voice.
Despite his partner’s objections, Hamill carried on chatting with thousands of fans, even as his voice flat out refused to work with him. Sources tell us immediately following the convention, Hamill’s voice voice-dialed his legal team to begin drafting the necessary papers to file for emancipation.
FSW is unsure how this will impact Star Wars: Episode IX if indeed Luke survives The Last Jedi. However, Hamill’s promotional tours for the upcoming sequel will definitely be affected. Of course, this could all be a ploy for Hamill’s voice to demand a greater salary and backend points in exchange for helping his partner shill The Last Jedi during planned media junkets in China.
We reached out to Hamill for his side of the story, but he was unable to comment as of this writing.
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-William “Willybobo” Bobo
