The role of the DC villain Joker, has always been a controversial one, after icons like Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger nailed it. It often took fans a hard time to accept other actors in that role. But Barry Keoghan’s brief and most recent version of The Joker in Matt Reeves’ 2022 movie The Batman, turned into a sudden hot topic.
The latest live-action adaptation of the Joker from Barry Keoghan came as a surprise to the audiences. But there’s a reason why the actor proved to be the perfect cast for the role. Initially auditioning for The Riddler, Keoghan ended up with the iconic role and became an even better version of the villain for his one particular rule.
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Barry Keoghan Initially Auditioned for The Riddler
Appearing in several acclaimed projects like Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, and the Oscar-nominated The Banshees of Inisherin, Barry Keoghan cemented his position in the entertainment industry. Manifesting renowned films and delivering richly textured performances, the actor eventually landed a role in Matt Reeves’ 2022 DC movie The Batman.
There’s a story behind how Barry Keoghan landed his acclaimed role in the film. According to his interview with Esquire, the actor recalled how he initially auditioned for the role of The Riddler and instead got cast as the perfect Joker. Spending ten dollars on a cane and a hat at a costume shop, Keoghan dressed as The Riddler and storyboarded a scene to impress the Reeves.
“I just made it up. I wanted to make it Kubrick-y: symmetrical, the X on the back, the square doorframe, everything square. I just wanted swag to come across. Swag and endearing. It was just me giving my idea. And then I’s like, I’ma send this in!”
Although no one asked him to audition or encouraged him to send the tape, Barry Keoghan did it for himself and impressed Matt Reeves. But unfortunately, the actor didn’t land the role he had auditioned for. Instead, his “Kubrick-y” inspiration did wonders for him and landed him the Jack Nicholson–Heath Ledger–Joaquin Phoenix role.
Barry Keoghan’s One Rule That Turned Him Into Perfect Joker
Although his role as The Joker was visible so far only briefly in Robert Pattinson’s The Batman, Barry Keoghan made quite an impression. And now he is believed to return with his creepy version of The Joker in Matt Reeves’ future Batman projects. Fans have already considered him the perfect version of the villain following his brief cameo.
Certainly, there’s a reason why he is being deemed perfect as the popular DC villain. Apart from the fact that Barry Keoghan delivered a better version of the character in his brief appearance, there’s one subtle element that brought out the essence of the character even more, and that’s his blue eyes. During an interview with GQ, Keoghan stated,
“[The Joker is] a bit charming and a bit hurt. I wanted some sort of human in there behind the makeup. I want people to relate to him. . .[to know] this is a facade he puts in. [The character is] a broken-down boy.”
Aligning more with Heath Ledger‘s disfigured Joker than Jack Nicholson‘s caricatured one, Barry Keoghan turned into the perfect villain with his character’s immediate sense of humanity. Although the actor only appeared in The Batman’s final moments, his version of Joker awaits a return in the potential sequel to Robert Pattinson’s movie.
Read more: The Batman 3 Has the Best Villain in Store For Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight and It’s Not the Joker
