Cover art: ‘Mark Hamill IS The Joker’ , DC All In Special #1 Variant Cover by Mitch Gerads from Reddit
This year at Fan Expo 2026, the legendary Mark Hamill proved exactly why he remains one of Hollywood’s most beloved icons. An icon for the best voice actor of our psychotic clown prince, the Joker.
Taking the stage for a lively panel, the 74-year-old actor. Famous for bringing both Luke Skywalker and the Joker to life, treated the audience to a candid, humorous, and deeply insightful look at his incredible career.
Opening the panel, Hamil immediately engaged with the crowd, taking questions from fans young and old. One fan asked about his favorite role outside of the Joker and Luke. Hamill passionately praised the world of voice acting, explaining,
“One thing I love about animation is that they cast with their ears, not their eyes. You get to play characters you’d never get to play on camera. You just have to sound like the character.”
He shared his love for diverse roles like Skips on Regular Show (which is miraculously returning for 11 more episodes) and Fire Lord Ozai from Avatar: The Last Airbender. He joked about how his Broadway roots helped him expand his horizons, noting that playing a “six-foot-two, muscle-bound Italian bouncer” on camera was impossible, but voicing him was perfectly feasible.
Reflecting on his time in a galaxy far, far away, Hamill grew nostalgic about the crew. “I really think about the crew,” he said. “You become like a family because you spend more time with them than you do with your real family.” He fondly recalled running around the soundstage with Harrison Ford and the brilliance of Frank Oz manipulating Yoda. Complete with the comedic logistics of hidden earpieces and lip-reading directions from the director.
Personal Background
Hamill also opened up about his humble beginnings. Growing up as the middle of seven children, he was inspired to enter show business after seeing Clarence Nash do the voice of Donald Duck on a Disney TV show. Despite his parents’ discouragement and a draft-dodging scramble to stay in college, he found incredible luck, landing an agent within his first year in Los Angeles.
“I’m the middle of seven children. My brother was an overachiever straight A’s six foot two athletic. It’s nothing left for me.”
Looking toward the future, Hamill revealed his recent roles, including voicing the titular robot in The Wild Robot and playing the terrifying “soulless evil lawyer” in Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck. He is also currently starring in the surreal, demented world of Twisted Metal alongside Stephanie Beatriz and Anthony Carrigan, a show he describes as “beyond bonkers.”
A true master of his craft, Hamill left the audience with sage advice for aspiring performers:
“Luck is such an important part of it, but you have to recognize when it is an opportunity. Get in front of an audience, dinner theater, anywhere, because it’s all going to be useful to you as you move along.”
Finally, Hamill was asked about the modern interpretation of his Star Wars character. He remained gracious, choosing to let the films speak for themselves. “Let the movie speak for itself,” he said, proving that his legendary status is matched only by his humility.
FAN EXPO Canada brings in the biggest, best stars of the comics and fan world. Seeing Mark Hamill was such a rare delight! Thank you to him and FAN EXPO to hosting such a spectacular show!
For those interested to watch the full panel, Star Wars Relics has uploaded the entire panel. What a treat! You can watch that here.
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