Mark Hamill Admits He Joined TWISTED METAL Even Though He "Didn't Get It" and He's Having Fun
It's hard to imagine Mark Hamill being confused by anything in Hollywood after a career that's taken him from a galaxy far, far away to countless animated and live-action roles.
But when the opportunity came along to join Twisted Metal, the legendary actor admits he had absolutely no idea what he was reading.
Hamill is set to appear in Season 3 of Peacock's Twisted Metal as Pope Charlie Kane, and during a FAN EXPO Anaheim panel, he shared that his introduction to the series left him scratching his head. Even after being given episodes to watch for context, things didn't suddenly click into place.
“They sent me this script and I started reading this thing. I go, ‘What IS this?’ Yeah, it’s twisted, but I just didn’t get it. So they sent me a link to watch the episodes, and I watched the episodes, and I went, ‘I still don’t get it.’”
Most actors probably would've passed after that experience, but Hamill saw something worth jumping into anyway. Instead of trying to make sense of the show's wonderfully chaotic world, he leaned into it.
Season 3 also marks his first time working with Anthony Mackie, who stars as John Doe, along with Stephanie Beatriz. Hamill said he was "delighted" to join the cast and share the screen with both actors.
As it turns out, the bizarre nature of Twisted Metal actually made his new character even more fun to play. Pope Charlie Kane is described as an ex-cabbie, ex-crook, and now the Pope of New York, which sounds perfectly at home in the series' wild post-apocalyptic setting.
“What’s so wonderful is, even though I don’t get it, my character benefits from not being tethered to reality,” he explained. “And I’m telling you, you put that hat on, it sort of changes you. And he’s nuts, totally nuts. So I’m having a great time.”
That mindset feels like the perfect fit for Twisted Metal. The series has never tried to play by conventional rules. It's a world packed with marauders, outrageous action, and the murderous clown Sweet Tooth, and that's exactly why fans have embraced it since its 2023 debut.
Hamill's comments also make it clear that understanding every strange detail isn't necessarily the point. Sometimes the best way to enjoy a universe this chaotic is to simply jump in and enjoy the ride. Judging by how much fun he's having as Pope Charlie Kane, it sounds like that's exactly what he did.
With Hamill joining Mackie and the rest of the cast for Season 3, it'll be interesting to see just how much insanity Pope Charlie Kane brings to an already unpredictable world.