Usually known for his notable supporting roles in films such as Ant-Man, Prisoners, Dune, and Blade Runner 2049, David Dastmalchian is taking the lead role in his new film Late Night With the Devil. The movie follows him as a host of a 1970s talk show Jack Delroy, who plans a Halloween special to revive his plummeting ratings, unknowingly inviting evil into the living rooms of America.
The film recently hit theatres and has received immense praise, along with facing some controversy over the brief use of AI-generated images. And Dastmalchian has revealed in a recent interview that he drew inspiration for his portrayal of Delroy from the same man as Heath Ledger allegedly did for his iconic role as the Joker in The Dark Knight.
David Dastmalchian Revealed His Extensive Preparation For Late Night With the Devil
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, actor David Dastmalchian opened up about the intense preparation process behind his role as a talk show host Jack Delroy in Late Night With the Devil. He shared that he dedicated around three months to immerse himself into the character of Delroy.
“I spent hundreds of hours. I’m not exaggerating,” he said. Further into the conversation, he shared that the host of The Don Lane Show, often regarded as the Johnny Carson of Australian television, served as a significant inspiration for his portrayal of Delroy. He explained,
“The Cairnes brothers sent me a bunch of footage that they accumulated of Don Lane—He was an American who lived in Australia, and he became the host of this huge syndicated talk show [The Don Lane Show].”
David Dastmalchian, who starred alongside Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, also mentioned the famous interview that Lane conducted with musician Tom Waits, which is speculated to have inspired Ledger’s interpretation of DC villain Joker.
“He did this famous interview with Tom Waits,” he said before adding, “A lot of people think Heath Ledger took inspiration from it for his portrayal of The Joker.” While the late actor never confirmed the claim, the resemblance between the vocals and mannerisms between the singer during his appearance on the Dan Lane Show and Ledger’s Joker is strikingly close.
David Dastmalchian Reflects on His Journey in Hollywood
David Dastmalchian made his feature film debut with Christopher Nolan’s 2008 film The Dark Knight. And in his recent interview, he reflected on the cyclical nature of storytelling as he highlighted how Heath Ledger’s legacy continued to inspire new talents.
“It’s pretty cool, and it’s also the cyclical nature of being a storyteller and the strange path that it’s followed,” he shared. The Late Night With the Devil star expressed gratitude about his evolving journey in Hollywood, as he said,
“It reminds me how much my life has changed, from being a theater actor who’d never been on a film set before, to standing two feet away from one of the greatest actors of our time, Heath Ledger, and now standing next to two more of the greatest actors of our time, Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr.”
He further expressed a sense of surreal disbelief at his journey, highlighting his initial involvement in projects and his continued role in the creation of great cinematic works alongside talented peers.
Late Night With the Devil is playing in theatres.
The Dark Knight is available to stream on Max.
