The Joker

[LexChaney]

Ok at the moment we have about three people who played The Joker in all the media of Batman. (I haven't counted Heath Ledger as I haven't seen him play The Joker yet, you can still add him if you want from what you have seen of the trailers.)

My list would go as follows:

1) [Mark Hamill]

It was Batman: The Animated Series that Mark Hamill voiced the part of The Joker. The Animated Series couldn't have the true Joker like the comics due to the fact that he killed a lot of people in comics, it was a big no at the time with the series. Hamill gave Joker a perfect voice and a lot of comedy that made him stand out to me, it was the first time as a child that I became a fan of The Joker.

You may argue that just giving a voice to something isn't acting, but you have to act out with voice of what the character is doing on the screen and I think Mark Hamill did the best Joker that I have seen.

2) [Jack Nicholson]

Ok it was hard not to place Nicholson at number one, he did the best of acting to bring out The Joker in Batman and he did pretty darn well in my book. Nicholson made The Joker look like a master criminal and violent psychopath, it was close to the comic as he could come and he did that well. Nicholson also made the role perfect by making The Joker different to his other alias in the film Jack Napier.

It will be hard for Ledger to try and beat out of Nicholson as being the best Joker in the Batman films, but from the trailers it may be a close call.

3) [Cesar Romero]

Romero managed to get another achieved icon status in his acting career when he played The Joker in ABC's television series, Batman. Mark Hamill cited Romero as an influence for when he took the role of The Joker in in Batman: The Animated Series. Romero also again played The Joker in the original movie version of Batman.

[DeeJam]

1) Jack Nicholson - He gave Joker that murderous intent from the comics. And who doesn't like a murderous clown? He gave Joker that mentally unbalanced mindframe that has made him Batman's #1 enemy.

2) Mark Hamill - I have to agree with Mr. Luthor on the perfect voice Hamill provided for the Joker. When imagining what the Joker should sound like now, Hamill's voice automatically comes to mind.

3) Cesar Romero - It's hard to take anything or any character from the Batman TV series serious. Even though I loved watching the re-runs when I was a little kid, now it's just funny to watch. And I don't like my Joker funny, I like him insane.

I have a feeling when TDK comes out, my list will be re-arranged to include Ledger in the top spot. It's premature to say, but by the trailers, Ledger has taken Nicholson's rendition of Joker and plundged him even deeper into darkness which can only result in the greatest Joker ever.

[Skummy]

I can't stand Nicholson as The Joker, possibly because of the context, because I'm not a big fan of the Batman films either (post-Adam West and pre-Begins, anyhow - they just can't make their mind up between dark and "gothic" in the Tim Burton sense, and just fey and camp; an identity crisis Batman had resolved in pretty much all other media), but mostly he just seems to be playing CRAZY JACK NICHOLSON the same way he has done in 75% of his films since One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.

Cesar Romero was great as The Joker in the old TV series, simply because that series was an entirely different approach, so can't really be compared to "serious" Batman anyway - but the Joker of the comics at the time was far more light-hearted, just a bit of a nuisance rather than a deranged master criminal, and Romero played that role perfectly. It helps that he played a fantastic part in making what was, and still is, one of the most fantastically bizarre and hilarious post-modern comedy films and franchises ever.

I've not seen a huge amount of the Batman series, but Mark Hamill was pretty good - again, managing to walk the line of not being too camp or too fey, but not being too dangerous and psychotic, because it would make Batman look inept if he's constantly failing to stop someone who's committing heinous crimes. He's very good at coming across as genuinely unhinged, but also very funny, and also incredibly knowing - he always seemed one step ahead, and always seemed to know something we didn't; that of course would tie into the train of thought of The Joker not being insane, but having some kind of "supersanity" - the reason he's the way he is is that he's MORE aware than any of the rest of the Batman universe; indeed, he may even be aware of the fact that he's a fictional character - he often breaks the fourth wall in both the comics and cartoons - and perhaps that knowledge has what's lead him to just do whatever the fuck he feels like. Bit of a tangent there but, yeah, Hamill gets that kind of unstable knowing cocky recklessness across in his voice acting incredibly well.

I've never enjoyed Heath Ledger's work in any film I've seen him, and was horrified when I heard he'd be playing The Joker, but ever since the first publicity shot of him in the make-up I've been telling anyone who'll listen that he'll blow Nicholson out of the water. Judging from what I've seen, it's pure Killing Joke noir Joker, the way he really should be played, and I can't wait to see it.

[ONO]

I've seen clips of them all as The Joker, but Heath definitely stands out for me as the best. Nicholson for me was too cartoony.

[James Casey]

Caesar Romero for me. I've been working my way through the Animated Series (that's the 90s one, right? Not the more recent one) but don't think I've seen any of the Joker episodes, so can't really comment as I've not seen any more recently than maybe ten years ago.

Jack Nicholson was... Jack Nicholson. It wasn't exactly acting - it was just Jack in makeup. Robin Williams would have been a better choice, I think, as was rumoured for a long time before Nicholson was chosen.

[EndOfAnEra]

If you want to see Mark Hamill as The Joker, check him out as Cock Knocker in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. It's essentially the same thing.

[Lint]

I agree with the people saying Mark Hamill had the best portrayal of The Joker. Just that voice he used...with that kinda dark raspy edge to it..just made the character seem like he was walking that perfect line of sanity ad insanity

[Maxx]

Yeah but Hamil had it the easiest, he didn't have to worry about anything besides nailing the voice. He didn't have to worry about portraying him physically at all.

Its going to be Heath, he spent a good deal of time working on the character and really trying to get inside the mind of the Joker. From what I've seen, its shows. Whereas Jack Nicholson was just Jack Nicholson playing cah-raaaaazy Jack in clown makeup, Ledger seems to have completely disappeared into the role.

[livid]

Which is rather unfortunate, actually, given that the stress he put on himself is what ultimately lead to his death.

[HeartlineTwist]

...Ledger seems to have completely disappeared into the role.

So much so in fact that out of everything I've seen for the film so far, there's only one moment where I can even actually say "That's Heath Ledger." It's in the most recent trailer when Joker gives out the line "And here...we...GO" It's because of the camera angle, but out of everything, that's the only time where I can "see" Heath. I know that falls more to make-up than to acting, but that's a lot better than Nicholson's Joker in my opinion. On top of that, he seems to be playing the role perfectly based on what we've seen so far. Guess we'll all find out if that holds up soon.

[apsham]

Mark for sure, I just can't get into this whole Ledger thing... it seemed interesting at first and the whole "spending time on the character" thing was an interesting side-note to bring up in conversation... now it's just getting annoying.