The One Movie That Inspired Mark Hamill More Than Star Wars
While his career is defined by lightsabers and the Force, Mark Hamill's passion for film was sparked by a different kind of fantasy. He recently revealed his all-time favorite movie, a choice that shaped his entire career.
For Mark Hamill, escaping the shadow of Luke Skywalker has been a lifelong challenge. It's hard to believe it's been nearly fifty years since Star Wars exploded onto the pop culture scene, forever changing the landscape of cinema. George Lucas's space opera was a breath of fresh air, offering a clear-cut story of good versus evil that stood in stark contrast to the grim, cynical movies dominating Hollywood at the time. A young Hamill, then just 24 and building a career in television, saw the magic in Lucas's script right away. He was captivated by its humor, relatable characters, and imaginative world, so much so that he fought to get out of his contract for the ABC show Eight is Enough to join the interstellar adventure. The risk paid off big time.
A Galaxy-Sized Legacy
Star Wars didn't just become a hit; it became a global phenomenon that redefined the summer blockbuster. Suddenly, Hamill's face was everywhere, from action figures to lunchboxes. He had officially made it. But that overnight stardom came with a catch. Hamill found himself typecast, frozen in the public's mind as the farm boy from Tatooine who became a Jedi Knight. It was a fate his co-star Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia, also struggled with. Still, being the face of one of cinema's most beloved heroes is a legacy most actors can only dream of.
While he later carved out a celebrated second career as the definitive voice of The Joker in numerous Batman animated projects and video games, his on-screen identity will always be tied to his lightsaber battles with Darth Vader. It was a destiny set in motion by a script he first read back in 1975, a path guided by his deep-seated love for fantasy.
An Ape-Sized Inspiration
So, what movie does the man behind the Jedi Knight hold dearest? During a red carpet interview with Letterboxd at the 2025 Academy Governors Awards, Hamill shared his top picks. After giving shout-outs to the comedy of Laurel and Hardy, the Our Gang shorts, and the political thriller The Manchurian Candidate, he named a true Hollywood classic as his number one. It was a foundational piece of cinema that sparked his imagination as a child.
“Well, right up at the top would be the black-and-white King Kong from 1933, because that captured me as a little kid and said, ‘I want to be in a business where they make dinosaurs come to life,’” he explained. It's a powerful reason. For decades, RKO's legendary story of a giant ape let loose in New York City has inspired countless future directors, actors, and special effects artists. The film, and Fay Wray's iconic performance as Ann Darrow, planted the seeds for generations of horror and fantasy filmmakers to come. Though many remakes and sequels followed, none have quite replicated the awe-inspiring magic of the original.