DBWI: Mark Hamill Doesn't Play Mozart

After having played Mozart in the Broadway production of "Amadeus," Mark Hamill was cast in Milos Forman's 1984 film adaptation. Audiences were struck by Hamill's performance, having previously known him for his turn as the heroic Luke Skywalker. But Hamill's casting almost didn't happen. The film's producer was adamant that "Luke Skywalker" not be in his movie. Yet after lobbying hard for the part and impressing Forman with his screen test, Hamill was ultimately hired to play Mozart.

What if Hamill hadn't been cast? How would this have impacted his career? Might he have become a victim of typecasting?
 
No real difference, the man's a dyed in the wool character actor, virtually unrecognisable from one role to the next. Kinda like Alec Guiness. Luke Skywalker, The Joker, Mozart, not easy to see it was all the same bloke. Just like Alec Guinness, you only realise when you listen to the voice.
 
No real difference, the man's a dyed in the wool character actor, virtually unrecognisable from one role to the next. Kinda like Alec Guiness. Luke Skywalker, The Joker, Mozart, not easy to see it was all the same bloke. Just like Alec Guinness, you only realise when you listen to the voice.

But without the Oscar nomination he got for playing Mozart, would he have ever moved on from being Luke Skywalker? He's a damn fine actor, but back then typecasting was an even bigger problem than it is today.

If Hamill is turned down, I don't see him playing the Joker in the live action "Batman" (1989). Nicholson probably gets the role instead.
 
But without the Oscar nomination he got for playing Mozart, would he have ever moved on from being Luke Skywalker? He's a damn fine actor, but back then typecasting was an even bigger problem than it is today.

If Hamill is turned down, I don't see him playing the Joker in the live action "Batman" (1989). Nicholson probably gets the role instead.

OOC: Shout out to @President_Lincoln for giving me that idea!
 
After having played Mozart in the Broadway production of "Amadeus," Mark Hamill was cast in Milos Forman's 1984 film adaptation. Audiences were struck by Hamill's performance, having previously known him for his turn as the heroic Luke Skywalker. But Hamill's casting almost didn't happen. The film's producer was adamant that "Luke Skywalker" not be in his movie. Yet after lobbying hard for the part and impressing Forman with his screen test, Hamill was ultimately hired to play Mozart.

What if Hamill hadn't been cast? How would this have impacted his career? Might he have become a victim of typecasting?
Very fitting your username, Hamill in amadeus was brillian to play the aloof mozart and show his range vs sallieri
 
Honestly, I can't imagine anyone else really stepping into the role as well due to the amazing chemistry between Hamill and F. Murray Abraham. The two were throwing everything they can into every scene together. You wouldn't know the two got along great off-camera if you watched this movie, because they make the animosity feel so real.
 
Marcel Hall (from the 1990s Broadway revival) was quite good.

I'll take your word for it but I too have a problem seeing anyone outside of Mark Hammil being Amadeus. It is that way for most of his roles. I have a hard time picturing anyone else being Luke Skywalker and it is hard to see who could be a better Joker(Although there are other Jokers none are as good IMO).
 
It was the perfect timing for Hamill to escape typecasting, between this and The Big Red One. Harrison Ford had Indiana Jones and Blade Runner to give himself that opportunity, Hamill was very lucky to land something like Amadeus, that really allowed him to show his range and not be stuck as a one-hit-wonder.

Just ask Carrie Fisher how that works out, though in her case, how much was typecasting and how much was her drug habit who can tell.

Plus, we wouldn't have all the jokes of having Hamill as the Joker in the first series of Batman movies, while Billy Dee Williams played Harvey Dent/Two-Face. One wonders if Harrison Ford wasn't busy playing Jack Ryan, maybe they could have had him as Bruce Wayne/Batman instead of Liam Neeson. Wouldn't that have been a kick in the head?
 
The only way I can see Hamill suceeding post-Star Wars and without animated films is going either the Tim Curry route of being obscure and building a name before coming back strong OR animated films.
Could you imagine that though?
He'd probably make for a good Rodimus Prime though.
 
The only way I can see Hamill suceeding post-Star Wars and without animated films is going either the Tim Curry route of being obscure and building a name before coming back strong OR animated films.
Could you imagine that though?
He'd probably make for a good Rodimus Prime though.

Maybe he could've played the Joker in the 1990s animated series instead of Tim Curry.
 
Plus, we wouldn't have all the jokes of having Hamill as the Joker in the first series of Batman movies, while Billy Dee Williams played Harvey Dent/Two-Face. One wonders if Harrison Ford wasn't busy playing Jack Ryan, maybe they could have had him as Bruce Wayne/Batman instead of Liam Neeson. Wouldn't that have been a kick in the head?

As awesome as that would be, I'd be sad to see Neeson not play Batman. He brought so much to that role and redefined how the character is portrayed on screen.
 
It's very difficult to believe, and it might just be puffery, but there's a rumor that Hamill was almost casted for a video game.
 
Simon Callow was Mozart in the original National Theatre production, with Paul Schofield playing Salieri. How about them?
 
Given how typecast Luke was, Im not surprised.
That role saved his career from going down that route

I definitely agree.

Without his appearance in Amadeus, I doubt that Hamill would've been cast as Barnes in Platoon or as Judas Iscariot in The Last Temptation of Christ. Playing Mozart lead him to go really "out there" in a way that kept his career alive through the late 1980s.
 
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