Mark Hamill's First Cartoon Role Was In The I Dream Of Jeannie Animated Spin-Off

If you were a kid in 1973, you probably spent a lot of your Saturday mornings eating cereal and watching "Jeannie" — CBS' animated spin-off of the classic "I Dream of Jeannie." The original sitcom — which ran from 1965 to 1970 on NBC — starred Barbara Eden as the titular 2,000-year-old genie who falls for Major Anthony Nelson (Larry Hagman), the astronaut who freed her from a bottle. She ends up living with him, but blending in as a human — and keeping her existence a secret from NASA — proves to be difficult as magical hijinks ensue.

In an effort to tap into a younger audience, "Jeannie" took some of the "I Dream of Jeannie" key ingredients and gave everything a teen-centric makeover. Gone was the adult romance of the original series, with Jeannie herself depicted as a 16-year-old redheaded magic-wielder who is freed from her bottle, this time by a teenage surfer named Corey — a new character that filled the role played by Hagman. Joined by her bumbling genie-in-training sidekick, Babu, Jeannie uses her powers to help Corey. But, of course, her well-meaning spells often cause total chaos — another signature lifted from the original show.

The all-new animated formula also meant all-new voice actors. Julie McWhirter took on the role of Jeannie, filling in for Eden, while Hamill voiced Corey. While working on the show, Hamill got to work with some industry legends. "I was a teenager and just a year out of college,'" Hamill told Rotten Tomatoes about getting the job on "Jeannie." He continued, "This was big for me. I walked in, and there were all these idols from when I was a kid. I met Don Messick and Daws Butler. ... To see who all those wonderful voice actors were — it was something I aspired to, to be a cartoon voiceover actor."

Even though he got to work with his idols, Mark Hamill was initially conflicted about the cartoon. He said as much during a career-spanning interview with Alamo Drafthouse. "I was very down on [animation studio] Hanna-Barbera at that age," Hamill shared with the outlet. "I loved Looney Tunes and more cutting-edge stuff, you know. Here I was; it was the number-one rated show that season, but I was just this kid and I had to learn that sometimes you have to compromise on the projects that you get. ... Looking back, though, it sure was fun doing it." During the interview, Hamill dropped the bomb that he hated "I Dream of Jeannie," also claiming that Larry Hagman — whom he once worked with — hated the beloved '60s TV show too.

"Jeannie" lasted only one season with a total of 16 episodes, which you can find streaming for free on Roku. Beyond his live-action success in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, Hamill went on to become an animation icon, highlighted by his definitive run as the Joker in "Batman: The Animated Series," Fire Lord Ozai in "Avatar: The Last Airbender," and Skeletor in Netflix's "Masters of the Universe: Revelation."