Mark Hamill is back with Mike Flanagan for a different kind of Stephen King adaptation, joined by newcomer Benjamin Pajak, inThe Life of Chuck. Inarguably best known for his roles as Luke Skywalker in theStar Warsfranchise and voicing the Joker across various DC animated media, Hamill previously made his Flanagan debut withNetflix’sThe Fall of the House of Usherminiseries, for which he earned strong praise for his turn as Usher family fixer, Arthur Pym. He’s also already lined up his next King adaptation withThe Long Walk, the long-gestating adaptation of King’s 1979 dystopian horror novel.
Based on King’s 2020 novella,The Life of Chucklargely centerson the titular man and chronicles his life in reverse chronological order, beginning with his impending death at an elderly age and the apparent demise of the world, before going back and exploring his adult years and his childhood, when he was left orphaned and adopted by his paternal grandparents. Pajak stars in the film as one of the younger versions of Chuck, sharing the role with Flanagan’s son Cody, as well as Jacob Tremblay, while Hamill stars as Chuck’s grandfather, Albie.
In anticipation of the movie’s release,ScreenRantinterviewed Mark Hamill and Benjamin Pajak to discussThe Life of Chuck. The two stars reflected on the movie’s unique use of dance to explore its titular character, including how the former surprised the latter by appearing on set during the filming of such a scene. Hamill also reflected on his multiple collaborations with Flanagan and how the filmmaker has given him a new drive to continue acting.
“His Sets Are Relaxing And A Big Family.”
While he has enjoyed a decades-spanning career sincehis movie debut inStar Wars, Hamill’s on-screen work has not been quite as frequent as his voiceover. The star admits that “there was a period” in whichhe seriously thought, “I’m kind of done here”, feeling a desire to “spend more time in the backyard with my puppies”, “wandering the beaches with a metal detector” and “telling people to get off my lawn”. He also expresses having felt that “my ambition had just dropped” and that he “didn’t have the fire in my belly”.
What changed all that was Mike casting me in The Fall of The House of Usher in a totally out-of-the-box way.
As Hamill explained, “I never get thought of for those kinds of really gritty, sociopathic, soulless villain roles outside of voiceover”,which is an area he now feels to be “routine”, in comparison to on camera, which he finds “special”. He also recalls having “such a good experience” working with Flanagan on the 2023 horror miniseries, enjoying a renewed sense of purpose in the acting sphere. “I thought, ‘Yeah, it can be fun. You can get the fire back that you’d lost’”, and expressing “I really owe a lot to him”.
This also led to Hamill jumping at the opportunity to reunite with him forThe Life of Chuck’s cast,even without “having known anything about the material”, as he praised the filmmaker for being “such a personable, kind man” who also “knows what he wants” from his projects. “His sets are relaxing and a big family,” Hamill warmly explained. “There’s no tension, there’s no shouting, no cursing. He just sets an atmosphere where everybody’s able to do their best work.”
Pajak Was Surprised When Hamill Showed Up During His Dance Scene
Hamill Was Also “Bowled Over” By His Young Co-Stars' Talent
One of the consistent threads throughout Chuck’s lifetime in the film is his love of dance, with nearly every version of the character showcasing different dancing skills. For Pajak, he recalls feeling a sense of uncertainty going into filming his sequence,but was also surprised when Hamill showed up the day they filmed it. As he explained, Hamill had “many days off” and was keen to “see the scene where he’s dancing in high school with Samantha Sloyan playing the teacher”, but was also careful not to “announce myself”, as he “didn’t want to distract”.
“So I’d wait until they were ready for a take, and the Second AD would say, ‘Go in now’,” Hamill explained. “I’d step inside. And then what I really related to, because I had the same thing happen to me, that they partnered him with a girl that’s at least six inches taller than he is. [Chuckles] That’s so accurate at that age.”
Hamill also went on to praise his youngerLife of Chuckco-star for his range of skills, expressing he was “bowled over by his talent” as he could sing, dance, and “he even knits”. When asked about whether he found himself offering advice to Pajak in the vein of Luke training young Jedis, Hamill found there was “nothing I can teach him”,instead feeling “he could teach me” thanks to his various talents. “I’m telling you, without any sort of hyperbole whatsoever, he’s got a huge career ahead of himself,” Hamill expressed. “He can do anything. He can do drama, he can do comedy.”
More About The Life Of Chuck
From the hearts and minds of Stephen King and Mike Flanagan comes The Life of Chuck, the extraordinary story of an ordinary man. This unforgettable, genre-bending tale celebrates the life of Charles “Chuck” Krantz as he experiences the wonder of love, the heartbreak of loss, and the multitudes contained in all of us.
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The Life of Chuckhits select theaters on June 6, followed by a wide release on June 13!
The Life of Chuck
Cast
The Life of Chuck is a film exploring the life of Chuck Krantz, presented in reverse chronological order.
