Mark Hamill talks in-depth about voicing Chucky in Child’s Play remake

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Lars Klevberg and MGM's upcoming remake of Tom Holland and Don Mancini's CHILD'S PLAY with Mark Hamill as the voice of new Chucky will be unleashed later this month. And today we finally have some in-depth words by Hamill on just what it was like taking on the iconic role of Chucky the killer doll. Hamill was recently at a press conference for the film and he was asked how the role came to him. He says:

I got a letter from Lars. He already laid out his vision for the film, before I read it. And then they sent me this script and I thought the crucial element that was different from the original, which I love — I'm a huge fan of Brad's interpretation — Chucky has a different origin. So it's not the soul of a serial killer, but someone deliberately goes in and alters his operating system and takes off the safety measures.

When I agreed to it, and it sunk in that they wanted me to do this, I felt intimidation like I hadn't felt since I did the Joker. I thought, when I auditioned for the Joker, there's no way they're going to cast this icon of virtue, Luke Skywalker, as the Joker. Forget about it. So I had no performance anxiety because I knew they couldn't hire me. It's only when they hired me that I really thought, ‘Oh no, I can't do this because so many people have expectations of what he's supposed to sound like.’

He continues to say that he was nervous about following in Brad Dourif’s footsteps.

I didn't feel that kind of intimidation until it sunk in that I was doing this. I love Brad. It's a great responsibility, so I’m anxious to see how people react because it's not the Chucky that we all know from before.

He then spoke about balancing all the mayhem and carnage with a solid dose of humor, saying:

We always try and be guided by the script. It was a real sort of open collaboration because I would try maybe five (takes) in a row, and do slightly different nuances. The interesting thing is to see them assemble it and what choices they made…it's really like giving them jigsaw puzzle pieces that they can assemble later to their liking.

He then spoke about how he doesn't see new Chucky as an amoral psychopath, but merely an AI adapting to the world he sees around him: 

[Chucky] was really like an innocent child, really, just learning from what goes around him. But I thought that was crucial.

The remake has been slapped with an R-rating for "bloody horror violence, and language throughout." The official synopsis reads:

A mother (Plaza) gives her son (Bateman) a toy doll for his birthday, unaware of its more sinister nature.

The remake is directed by Lars Klevberg (POLAROID) from a screenplay written by KUNG FURY 2 writer Tyler Burton Smith with STEPHEN KING'S IT producers David Katzenberg and Seth Grahame-Smith producing. Aaron Schmidt and Chris Ferguson executive produced. Aubrey Plaza stars as Andy's Mom, along with Brian Tyree Henry as Mike, Gabriel Bateman (LIGHTS OUT) as Andy, and Mark Hamill as the voice of Chucky. Beatrice Kitsos, Ty Consiglio, and Carlease Burke co-star. CHILD'S PLAY stalks and slashes its tiny terrifying ass into your local multiplex come June 21, 2019.