Heath Ledger’s portrayal of The Joker transcended everyone’s expectations and perceptions about the actor’s capabilities. There was a lot of scrutiny and criticism when Ledger was first cast in the role in The Dark Knight as people did not see him as the manipulative and cheeky antagonist. Added to that, Jack Nicholson did an amazing job portraying the character in 1989’s Batman which everyone believed was the peak of what an actor could do with the character.
Ledger shocked everyone with his calculative and menacing portrayal of the character. He was even posthumously awarded the Oscar for his incredible performance. A huge factor for his performance being a standout in the film was how it was a wholly unique take on the character and Ledger was not trying to copy Nicholson’s portrayal of the character.
Heath Ledger Brought His Own Identity to The Joker for The Dark Knight
Heath Ledger was selected by Christopher Nolan to portray the Joker in The Dark Knight. Ledger wanted to make the character his own and did not want to emulate what Jack Nicholson had done in 1989’s Batman. Ledger told IGN,
“I’m obviously not going for the same thing he went for. That would just be stupid, and it’s also two very different styles of directors and filmmaking. Tim Burton did a more fantastical kind of thing and Chris Nolan is doing the nitty-gritty kind of handheld realism thing. I love what he did and it is part of why I want to do it, and I remember seeing Batman and thinking how much fun it would be to put on that mask and to attempt to do something along those lines. But it would obviously just be murder if I tried to imitate and pointless to the project.”
It seems Nicholson was annoyed that he was not asked to return as the character in the film. He told MTV,
“I’m furious. I’m furious. [He laughs.] They never asked me about a sequel with the Joker. I know how to do that! Nobody ever asked me. It’s like, in any area, you can’t believe the reasons things do or don’t happen. Not asking me how to do the sequel is that kind of thing. Maybe it’s not a mistake. Maybe it was the right thing, but to be candid, I’m furious.”
Nicholson may have not got to return as Joker but Ledger did such an incredible job with the role that many consider his portrayal to be greater than Nicholson’s. He was even given accolades and awards for the role.
Heath Ledger Was Very Proud of His Work on The Dark Knight
Heath Ledger who portrayed the role of Joker in The Dark Knight sadly passed away a few months before the film’s release in 2008. Christopher Nolan talked about the unfortunate passing of the actor and the incredible job he did in the film. The director also revealed that the actor was incredibly proud of his work on the film. Nolan told Entertainment Weekly,
“No, not at all. You know, he was very proud of what he had done. [His interpretation of the Joker is] very much a character, an iconic character, and very much not [Heath]. So to watch it is actually enthralling and captivating and exciting — all those positive things. I know how proud he was of the part and I’m actually very, very excited to show it to people and have them see it.”
The film broke all records and reinvented the superhero genre. Ledger’s performance changed how the industry and the Oscars perceived superhero films and laid down the fact that these movies can also provide compelling performances and relatable themes and human conditions.
