Mark Hamill is a hugely successful voice actor, but he wasn’t thrilled to play himself in Batman: The Animated Series. However, when it came to parodying himself in The Simpsons season 10, Hamill much preferred his secondary cameo role.
The Simpsons is America’s longest-running sitcom, debuting in 1989 and having recently finished its 33rd season. By season 10, the show was already beginning its gradual decline, with The Simpsons' Golden Age generally regarded as seasons 3-8. Still, Mark Hamill's guest role in "Mayored to the Mob" was a definite highlight. When a riot breaks out at Springfield's sci-fi convention, Homer saves Hamill and Mayor Quimby, prompting him to become a bodyguard.
Homer ensures Quimby shuts down Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" as a "revelation."
Why Mark Hamill Preferred His Secondary Role In The Simpsons
However, Hamill's excitement was tempered somewhat by the thought of playing himself. He’d asked his agent to inform The Simpsons showrunners of his interest, but it was some time before they asked him to guest star as himself. He cited a previous experience playing himself on the animated show Freakazoid and was concerned about his performance. He recalled, "Playing yourself, you become very self-conscious in of, ‘Well, who am I? How do I sound?’" Part of his wariness also stemmed from the episode's caricature of himself as a celebrity willing to do anything for money. He sells long-distance phone plans and performs in a production of Guys and Dolls while dressed as Star Wars' Luke Skywalker.
Mark Hamill ed his reaction: "Oh, I got up on my high horse! I said, ‘Oh, I’ve never done dinner theater, I’ve been on Broadway.’ … How dare they." His kids reminded him it was simply a joke, and he agreed to guest star in The Simpsons. However, he also asked about voicing other characters. Knowing he was self-conscious, the showrunners let him voice Leavelle, the no-nonsense bodyguard trainer. Mark Hamill took great pleasure in this cameo, stating in the "Mayored to the Mob" commentary, "This one I loved doing and I just really didn't like doing myself." Playing Leavelle enabled him to focus on the work and simply become a character, rather than worry about his natural voice. Indeed, Hamill sounds more confident as Leavelle belittles Homer and sings "I Will Always Love You," but he's still hilarious when voicing himself. The Simpsons now has too many celebrity cameos, but Mark Hamill excels in his self-mocking portrayal of a vain movie star cashing in on Star Wars.
In the commentary, Hamill even credits the show as helping him land an audition for the Joker several years earlier. Batman: The Animated Series casting/voice director Andrea Romano once heard him comment that appearing in The Simpsons was his highest career goal, therefore thought he'd be interested in other voice work. Ultimately, Mark Hamill fondly re The Simpsons' parody, now reveling in the humor of voicing himself as a shameless sell-out.