Highlights
- Christian Bale had concerns that Heath Ledger’s extreme portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight would overshadow his performance.
- Jack Nicholson was initially upset that he wasn’t considered for the role of the Joker in the film, expressing his frustration in an interview.
- Ledger chose not to imitate Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of the Joker, citing the different styles of directors and filmmaking between Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan.
Looking back at his time in The Dark Knight, Christian Bale had concerns over Heath Ledger’s take on The Joker, knowing the actor was going to steal the spotlight given how extreme his performance was in the film. As it turns out, the actor left an impression on millions of fans, and the same held true for his co-stars. Aaron Eckhart was emotional discussing his time with Heath, and how they were able to knock their scene together in the hospital out of the park.
However, as we’ll reveal in the following, not every person in Hollywood was excited over Ledger’s casting. We’ll reveal why Jack Nicholson felt indifferent at the start. We’re also going to take a closer look at why Ledger was against watching footage of Jack Nicholson’s take on The Joker.
Jack Nicholson Wasn’t Pleased With Heath Ledger Getting Cast In The Role
During Jack Nicholson’s candid interview with MTV, the actor spilled on how he really felt about Heath Ledger getting cast as The Joker. The veteran actor wasn’t upset with Ledger getting the role, he was angrier that he wasn’t even considered given his history with such a character.
Nicholson tells 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.”
He continues, “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 continues on, stating that it was a part he should’ve played given his history with the character.
Ultimately, Nicholson revealed he was unsure if he’d even watch The Dark Knight.
“I’m not inclined to watch it because of what I said. But if it’s a good movie, I’ll catch up with it somewhere. I don’t think they ever really captured Tim Burton’s spirit [since he stopped being involved]. They kind of drove the franchise into the ground. Tim Burton’s a genius. He had the right take on it. That’s why I did the movie.”
Well, given the way the 2008 film played, we assume Christopher Nolan’s take on Batman brought Jack Nicholson to the theaters. And as for Heath Ledger, it goes without saying that he belonged in the film.
Heath Ledger Opted Against A Copy Of Jack Nicholson For The Joker Role Given The Different Styles Of Directors
It would’ve been an easy choice for Heath Ledger to use inspiration from Jack Nicholson’s past performance as The Joker. However, Ledger had something completely different in mind. Given Christopher Nolan’s vision for the film, Ledger realized the theme was going to be completely different compared to Tim Burton years ago.
Speaking alongside IGN prior to the film’s release, Ledger revealed that Jack Nicholson’s Joker didn’t have any influence on his role.
“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.”
He continues, “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.”
There truly is no arguing with Ledger’s decision as his role in the film captivated audiences. The Dark Knight is still considered not only the best Batman film ever, but perhaps the greatest film of all-time.
Christian Bale Revealed Heath Ledger Was Deep Into Character During The Dark Knight
The interrogation scene between Batman and The Joker comes off as extreme, and one of the more memorable scenes of the film. As it turns out, a lot of what fans got to see was completely organic, and in large part thanks to Heath Ledger’s deep dive into the Joker character.
Christian Bale recalls the scene, revealing how deep into the process Heath really was at the time.
“As you see in the movie, Batman starts beating the Joker and realizes that this is not your ordinary foe. Because the more I beat him the more he enjoys it. The more I’m giving him satisfaction.”
“Heath was behaving in a very similar fashion. He was kinda egging me on. I was saying, ‘You know what, I really don’t need to actually hit you. It’s going to look just as good if I don’t.’ And he’s going, ‘Go on. Go on. Go on.”
“He was slamming himself around, and there were tiled walls inside of that set which were cracked and dented from him hurling himself into them,” the Oscar-winning actor continued. “His commitment was total.”
Ledger’s commitment certainly won’t be forgotten by both his peers and the fans.
Source: NewsFinale
