*JOKER SPOTLIGHT* Man Of A Thousand Smiles
In celebration of the recently passed April Fool's Day (I even managed to play a couple of pranks that were fairly successful here and here, mwauahahaa ), I thought I'd do a little tribute to some of the most prominent and note-worthy portrayals of the Joker there have been to date.
Cesar Romero (Batman Television Series)
Ah, Cesar Romero, the first man to bring Mistah J to life and say what you will about the 1960s series, the comparative harmlessness of its Joker and Romero's 'stache beneath that greasepaint - the man did a cracking great job at capturing the maniacal glee of the Clown Prince of Crime. Throwing himself into the part with gusto, Romero is one of the only actors to sound truly genuine when letting loose a peal of hysterical laughter.
And heck - moustache or not, he looked damn fine.
Jack Nicholson (Batman 1989)
Another portrayal now much maligned amongst the hip and cool cats of today, Nicholson's performance nonetheless was tour-de-force - perfectly suitable to the concept of the Batmanverse the film depicted and convincing - one of the more immersive performances Nicholson has ever done.
Jack was unstinting in his enthusiasm given to the role and veered at once between the Joker's malicious glee and his genuine murderousness.
Any of the bandwagoners who sneer at Nicholson's Joker as harmless against Ledger's Joker needs to remember the climactic scenes in which Joker attempts to poison THE ENTIRE CITY utilising a means intended for celebration and joy. THAT'S Joker style!
Mark Hamill - B:TAS, Justice League Unlimited & Batman: Arkham Asylum
Mark Hamill as the Joker - the portrayal, whilst only in voice, many consider to be the definitive depiction of the Joker, to date.
There can be no doubt that Hamill throws everything he has into his voicework for the Joker, capturing the full range of the Mirthful Madman's wild nature - from the humour to the menace, to the anger and the glee, the malice, the intelligence, the insanity and even the sorrow - it's all in there.
Hamill ranks number #1 for making the Joker's chilling laughter sound natural - and Romero's influence on his voicework is clear.
Kevin Michael Richardson (The Batman)
Unfortunately and unjustly often forgotten when folks do line-ups of Joker performances, this talented voice actor infused his portryal of the Joker with unsuppressed delight and hedonism.
Though this series was received with very ambivalent feelings by fans and its depiction of the Joker considered controversial, there can be no doubt it nonetheless containted the core spirit of Mistah J, due in no small part to Richardson who got to the Clown Prince's essence in a stylish and endearing way.
Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
The final role of an actor who died tragically young, Heath Ledger can be credited with making an entirely new - and enormous - audience aware of what the Joker as a character has always been really about.
It is due to Ledger that a wider audience realise the full power, intent and appeal of the Joker, what he represents, stands for and is capable of.
But also unfortunately, it is this same audience who now sneer at other depictions of the Joker as 'lesser' than Ledger's through an unwillingness to concede any merit to 'real' comic book style stories.
Regardless, Ledger also managed to capture the core spirit of the character in a way that is breathtaking
Jeff Bennett (The Brave and the Bold)
A newcomer who has already made his mark, this voice actor has created a markedly different and delightful version of the Joker.
Suave, urbane, sophisticated, Jeff's mellow tones are underlined with a hint of nasty humour, a sort of laissez-faire and sardonic attitude to all that he observes as though witnessing a joke he already knows the punchline to - and, as far as the Joker is concerned, that's exactly what life is!
And still the gleefulness and danger are present, underscoring every word.
Bennett's work also makes me wonder if Tim Curry's - a very early choice for the Joker on B:TAS - would have been similar...
John DiMaggio (Under the Red Hood)
The latest in this line of talented performers, John DiMaggio has brought to life a Joker who is by turns hilarious, seductive, thrilling and terrifying.
Delivering the role with a brutal masculinity, he is wonderfully scary, truly capturing not only the Clown Prince's insanity but his genuine delight in sadism.
Malicious, creepy, sneering and mean, his voice is ever tinged with a note of humour that heightens the more depraved things get. Many fans are already naming him the most suited to taking over from Hamill.
Cesar Romero (Batman Television Series)
Ah, Cesar Romero, the first man to bring Mistah J to life and say what you will about the 1960s series, the comparative harmlessness of its Joker and Romero's 'stache beneath that greasepaint - the man did a cracking great job at capturing the maniacal glee of the Clown Prince of Crime. Throwing himself into the part with gusto, Romero is one of the only actors to sound truly genuine when letting loose a peal of hysterical laughter.
And heck - moustache or not, he looked damn fine.
Jack Nicholson (Batman 1989)
Another portrayal now much maligned amongst the hip and cool cats of today, Nicholson's performance nonetheless was tour-de-force - perfectly suitable to the concept of the Batmanverse the film depicted and convincing - one of the more immersive performances Nicholson has ever done.
Jack was unstinting in his enthusiasm given to the role and veered at once between the Joker's malicious glee and his genuine murderousness.
Any of the bandwagoners who sneer at Nicholson's Joker as harmless against Ledger's Joker needs to remember the climactic scenes in which Joker attempts to poison THE ENTIRE CITY utilising a means intended for celebration and joy. THAT'S Joker style!
Mark Hamill - B:TAS, Justice League Unlimited & Batman: Arkham Asylum
Mark Hamill as the Joker - the portrayal, whilst only in voice, many consider to be the definitive depiction of the Joker, to date.
There can be no doubt that Hamill throws everything he has into his voicework for the Joker, capturing the full range of the Mirthful Madman's wild nature - from the humour to the menace, to the anger and the glee, the malice, the intelligence, the insanity and even the sorrow - it's all in there.
Hamill ranks number #1 for making the Joker's chilling laughter sound natural - and Romero's influence on his voicework is clear.
Kevin Michael Richardson (The Batman)
Unfortunately and unjustly often forgotten when folks do line-ups of Joker performances, this talented voice actor infused his portryal of the Joker with unsuppressed delight and hedonism.
Though this series was received with very ambivalent feelings by fans and its depiction of the Joker considered controversial, there can be no doubt it nonetheless containted the core spirit of Mistah J, due in no small part to Richardson who got to the Clown Prince's essence in a stylish and endearing way.
Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
The final role of an actor who died tragically young, Heath Ledger can be credited with making an entirely new - and enormous - audience aware of what the Joker as a character has always been really about.
It is due to Ledger that a wider audience realise the full power, intent and appeal of the Joker, what he represents, stands for and is capable of.
But also unfortunately, it is this same audience who now sneer at other depictions of the Joker as 'lesser' than Ledger's through an unwillingness to concede any merit to 'real' comic book style stories.
Regardless, Ledger also managed to capture the core spirit of the character in a way that is breathtaking
Jeff Bennett (The Brave and the Bold)
A newcomer who has already made his mark, this voice actor has created a markedly different and delightful version of the Joker.
Suave, urbane, sophisticated, Jeff's mellow tones are underlined with a hint of nasty humour, a sort of laissez-faire and sardonic attitude to all that he observes as though witnessing a joke he already knows the punchline to - and, as far as the Joker is concerned, that's exactly what life is!
And still the gleefulness and danger are present, underscoring every word.
Bennett's work also makes me wonder if Tim Curry's - a very early choice for the Joker on B:TAS - would have been similar...
John DiMaggio (Under the Red Hood)
The latest in this line of talented performers, John DiMaggio has brought to life a Joker who is by turns hilarious, seductive, thrilling and terrifying.
Delivering the role with a brutal masculinity, he is wonderfully scary, truly capturing not only the Clown Prince's insanity but his genuine delight in sadism.
Malicious, creepy, sneering and mean, his voice is ever tinged with a note of humour that heightens the more depraved things get. Many fans are already naming him the most suited to taking over from Hamill.