Mark Hamill: ‘I Do What You Do—Communicate With The Public’

At Content Marketing World, the actor told the audience he’s had a natural affinity with marketers because of the necessity to constantly put himself forward at auditions for stage and film.

“I never expected to still be in a galaxy far, far away as I rocketed toward Social Security,” actor Mark Hamill confided to Content Marketing Institute founder Joe Pulizzi, at the closing keynote of Content Marketing World 2016. “I went to one audition that changed by life forever.”

Famous for his portrayal of Luke Skywalker in the “Star Wars” films, Hamill more recently received critical acclaim for voice acting as the Joker in the Warner Bros. animated production of “Batman” and associated video games.

Hamill told the audience he’s had a natural affinity with marketers because of the necessity to constantly put himself forward at auditions for stage and film. “I do what you do,” he said. “I communicate with the public.”

“You can’t successfully navigate a career as an actor without really knowing how to market yourself,” Hamill added. “But even outside of the acting, I was always involved in ensemble theatre, and if I didn’t get a part in a play, I worked with the props, or selling tickets, or maybe being an usher.”

According to Hamill, he first began to focus on marketing and audiences in these local theatre groups, trying to imagine how to create posters and messages to convince people to come to the plays. “One of my favorite things was working in the publicity department,” he said. “I spend a lot of time trying to imagine what people will respond to. As a writer or director or voice actor, the creative process always starts with thinking about what the audience will respond to.”

As Hamill became more involve in voice acting and animations in the years following the original Star Wars movies, he also became a regular participant in events for sci-fi and comic aficionados. It was at these events, he said, where could share a genuine enthusiasm for the genre, which, in turn, gave him a level of authenticity appreciated by Star Wars and Batman fans.

“Pop culture is something that really does grab me,” Hamill explained. “You go to these events and they all look amazing, and they know the movies better than I do because I only saw them when they were first released.”

As for his appearance in the latest edition of the storied franchise, Hamill explained that he worked out hard for 50 weeks to get ready for the role. Then he saw the script: “I lost 48 pounds to turn around and remove my hood!?”

And although his fascination with audiences is instructive, the actor warned against trusting his judgment on branding, as he once told the young Arnold Schwarzenegger that he would have to “lose the accent” if he was going to make it in the U.S.

“Within a couple of years, Schwarzenegger was everywhere in Hollywood,” Hamill recalled. “So I guess it’s best to listen to my advice and then do the opposite of what I say.”

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