2. Mark Hamill
Character & Films: Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy - and rumoured for
Episode VII.
Before Star Wars: Hamill was almost exclusively a TV actor before
Star Wars, beginning with appearances on
The Bill Cosby Show and
General Hospital, and lending his voice to
Jeannie. His only film credit prior to
A New Hope is the voice of Sean in Ralph Bakshi's
Wizards.
After Star Wars: Hamill has had an extensive voice acting career, being most famous for playing the Joker in
Batman: The Animated Series. He also lent his voice to the English dubs for two Hayao Miyazaki films,
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and
Castle in the Sky. He has occasionally appeared on stage, playing John Merrick in
The Elephant Man and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in
Amadeus (a year before the Oscar-winning film version). Live action roles include
The Big Red One and John Carpenter's remake of
Village of the Damned.
Did He Deserve Better?: Yes. Hamill's had a wonderful career as a voice artist, but even with his unfortunate accident in 1977 he should have been a big live-action star. He's done very well for himself, but you can't help but wonder what might have been.
Look No Further: The Joker in
Batman: The Animated Series (1992-94). Before Heath Ledger came along, his Joker was the best around.