You won’t assume that Mark Hamill and David Bowie have a lot in frequent, however they each performed the very same position and, for totally completely different causes, it was practically their final.
You doubtless don’t require a proof as to who these two leisure legends are however, in case you do, the quick model is that Bowie was a stardust-filled music celebrity from Mars, and Hamill skywalks the panorama as an achieved actor from the celebrities.
Bowie had additionally taken appearing roles, and initially earned consideration for his position in the Man Who Fell To Earth. In the meantime Hamill skyrocketed to fame in 1977 within the lead position of Star Wars. It will’ve been fairly intriguing to see Bowie in a Star Wars position. You may’t blame anybody for pondering that Bowie would’ve made an amazing younger model of Grand Moff Tarkin, however such ideas are only a moonage daydream.
Within the early 1980’s, Hamill was making an attempt to interrupt out of being labeled Luke Skywalker perpetually. He wanted one thing that proved he can final within the enterprise with out utilizing a Jedi thoughts trick, nevertheless it wanted to occur prior to later. His motivation was totally out of affection for his craft, contemplating he might’ve simply retired on the thousands and thousands he comprised of Star Wars, because of receiving a share of the earnings.
Having a 3-movie contract to play the hero within the unique Star Wars trilogy, Hamill wouldn’t start filming the third film, Return of the Jedi, till 1982. So, in 1980 he set his sights on Broadway whereas Stars Wars followers impatiently waited for Jedi.
That yr, David Bowie was forged to play the lead position in The Elephant Man, a Broadway play based mostly on the lifetime of Joseph Merrick, who lived with excessive bodily deformities. Bowie felt rushed into the position, however embraced it, particularly after a memorable opening night time which featured such stars as Elizabeth Taylor and Andy Warhol. The play, which had received the Tony Award for the perfect play of 1979, acquired important important acclaim in New York newspapers with Bowie within the lead.
The music celebrity had agreed to carry out as John Merrick — the lead position based mostly on Joseph Merrick — till at the least January of 1981, however any hopes the producers had of extending Bowie’s contract have been dashed because of an unthinkable tragedy.
Bowie’s good friend, John Lennon, had two tickets to attend the play on Tuesday night time December 9, 1980. One night time earlier than, nonetheless, Lennon was shot and killed in entrance of the Dakota house constructing the place he lived in New York Metropolis. The world was shocked, as was Bowie. The following efficiency of The Elephant Man was that Tuesday night time and Bowie determined to attempt to carry out. Nonetheless, as if the sudden dying of his good friend wasn’t sufficient, the person who killed John Lennon — Mark David Chapman — additionally had a ticket for that night time.
Bowie later defined, “Chapman had a front-row ticket to The Elephant Man the following night time. John and Yoko have been supposed to take a seat front-row for that present, too. So the night time after John was killed there have been three empty seats within the entrance row. I can’t inform you how troublesome it was to go on. I nearly didn’t make it via the efficiency.”
For Bowie, it was the start of what would change into an prolonged mourning interval that almost broke him and would see him change into a recluse for practically two years. The tragedy additionally meant that producers wanted to seek out one other star. Ultimately, in June of 1981, Mark Hamill can be their new hope. Unbeknownst to Hamill, nonetheless, the play was all however coming to finish.
The producers employed him out of a determined want for star energy in a ultimate try to avoid wasting the present. In opposition to Hamill’s needs, they even promoted the intense play as “The power involves Broadway!” The out-of-place Star Wars themed advertisements precipitated Hamill to later declare it was essentially the most embarrassed he’d ever been in his profession.
The play bombed as Hamill’s casting was not sufficient to reserve it. Apparently, the power wasn’t robust sufficient and it lasted simply 3 weeks underneath Hamill earlier than closing altogether.
Hamill was devastated. He had no concept that the present was struggling so badly earlier than his casting to the purpose that they have been taking part in to a half empty theater each night time. He had moved to New York Metropolis for the position, believing he can be a star on Broadway for months however after it closed he contemplated if his profession can be over after Return of the Jedi.
Because it seems, the actor who performed a star in area — and the musician who performed a star on Earth — each rebounded from The Elephant Man in distinctive methods.
Hamill discovered work and ultimately made a significant affect within the DC comedian e book universe by being the critically acclaimed voice of the Joker as principally heard within the extremely regarded Batman: The Animated Sequence.
Bowie returned to music and shortly hit one other stride of fame considered left within the Nineteen Seventies, as his hit album Let’s Dance catapulted Bowie again to superstardom, and all however cemented his legend as one of many best musical artists of all-time.
Each Hamill and Bowie noticed what’s arguably the darkest interval of their respective careers whereas taking part in the identical position simply months aside. Was it the curse of The Elephant Man? One can’t be blamed for contemplating it. Regardless, each have been capable of overcome their darkish interval and shine brightly lengthy after their troubled Broadway expertise.