Mark Hamill compares new film Life of Chuck to It's A Wonderful Life
The 73-year-old actor - most famous for playing Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise - portrays Albie Krantz, the paternal grandfather of Tom Hiddleston's titular protagonist Charles "Chuck" Krantz, an accountant who grows up loving dance.
Hamill says the fantasy drama - which tells the story of Chuck's life in reverse concentrating on the most important moments - has a lot in common with the acclaimed 1946 Christmas film which stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a kind-hearted man who contemplates his life one Christmas Eve and is shown what the world would look like if he had never existed by his guardian angel Clarence Odbody.
Mark said: "It reminds me of It's A Wonderful Life for our times. Even though it's not mimicking that film, the effect of it is. When I saw It's A Wonderful Life it just warms your heart.
"The way it teaches you that every moment that might seem insignificant until, in relation, they are the most important moments in your life. It's optimistic and the characters actually do the right things for the right reasons, I don't think there's any real villains."
Hamill says that director Mike Flanagan has included so many layers to the story and hidden messages in The Life of Chuck that his wife Marilou has watched the film five times and still is finding new things in it.
He shared: "My wife saw it five times and she says she always gets something new.
"I have to confess I was in the film and it wasn't until the Toronto Film Festival that I went, 'Oh, I get that now.' They don't lay it in your lap. It's something that people will experience through their own lens, it's so relatable."
When Hamill was contacted by Flanagan, 47, about playing Albie alongside "wonderful actors" like Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Mia Sara and Matthew Lillard among others he was told the film was based on a Stephen King novella.
As it was a King story, Mark was convinced that he'd be acting in a horror movie and was totally surprised by the story for The Life of Chuck.
In an interview on This Morning, he said: "I was unprepared for it. When Mike called and said, 'I have something for you in a new Stephen King novella,' I'm ready for the epic supernatural horror film ... It's unlike anything he's ever done."
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Mark Hamill compares new film Life of Chuck to It's A Wonderful Life
Mark Hamill says his new film The Life of Chuck reminds him of It's A Wonderful Life. The 73-year-old actor - most famous for playing Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise - portrays Albie Krantz, the paternal grandfather of Tom Hiddleston's titular protagonist Charles "Chuck" Krantz, an accountant who grows up loving dance. Hamill says the fantasy drama - which tells the story of Chuck's life in reverse concentrating on the most important moments - has a lot in common with the acclaimed 1946 Christmas film which stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a kind-hearted man who contemplates his life one Christmas Eve and is shown what the world would look like if he had never existed by his guardian angel Clarence Odbody. Mark said: "It reminds me of It's A Wonderful Life for our times. Even though it's not mimicking that film, the effect of it is. When I saw It's A Wonderful Life it just warms your heart. "The way it teaches you that every moment that might seem insignificant until, in relation, they are the most important moments in your life. It's optimistic and the characters actually do the right things for the right reasons, I don't think there's any real villains." Hamill says that director Mike Flanagan has included so many layers to the story and hidden messages in The Life of Chuck that his wife Marilou has watched the film five times and still is finding new things in it. He shared: "My wife saw it five times and she says she always gets something new. "I have to confess I was in the film and it wasn't until the Toronto Film Festival that I went, 'Oh, I get that now.' They don't lay it in your lap. It's something that people will experience through their own lens, it's so relatable." When Hamill was contacted by Flanagan, 47, about playing Albie alongside "wonderful actors" like Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Mia Sara and Matthew Lillard among others he was told the film was based on a Stephen King novella. As it was a King story, Mark was convinced that he'd be acting in a horror movie and was totally surprised by the story for The Life of Chuck. In an interview on This Morning, he said: "I was unprepared for it. When Mike called and said, 'I have something for you in a new Stephen King novella,' I'm ready for the epic supernatural horror film ... It's unlike anything he's ever done."
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