#thejoker #heathledger #thedarkknight
How Heath Ledger prepared to play The Joker
Edited by Danny Boyd
In this series of Heath Ledger interviews, made up of every Heath Ledger Joker interview and rare behind the scenes account I could find, audio and visual, Heath Ledger explains how he prepared to play The Joker in the Christopher Nolan directed The Dark Knight (2008), what inspired his take on The Joker and his iconic Joker voice, and what it was like for the actor to play the iconic Batman villain.
The Dark Knight is a 2008 Batman film directed by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics characters, this second entry in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne and Batman, Heath ledger as The Joker, and features Aaron Eckhart, Sir Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Morgan Freeman.
For more heath ledger joker interviews and related stuff, check out:
Michael Jai White on Working with Heath Ledger on "Dark Knight", Heath Dying (Part 9)
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Michael Caine & Christian Bale on Heath Ledgers Iconic Joker Performance
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Audio interview with Heath Ledger about the Joker (Short)
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HEATH LEDGER - DEC 2007 Radio Interview Pt 3
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Michael Jai White Talks About How Heath Ledger Was On Set of The Dark Knight
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Music:
Almost in F - Tranquillity by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/
Long Note Three by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/
Heath Ledger On Playing The Joker | Interview Series
• Video
can't believe he was only 28. This performance was proof he had potential to be one of the greatest of all-time. So so sad.
Possibly the greatest of all time, the joker performance is nothing short of perfect
Missed being a member of a most exclusive club by only one year...
@@balancejedi162 The Joker is kind of a mystery...So the way people perform as the Joker is always a reflection of their own idea. Heaths performance was impressive because he manage to play the character funny and scary at the same time...the depiction of the Joker was strong because Chris Nolan followed Heaths idea up to the point that he did his own makeup...just like the Joker would do if he would exist. We are all still mesmerized because no one expected Heath to be that much dedicated....Is sad cause we all recognize his unbelieveable talent but now its too late.
No, this performance was proof that he WAS one of the greatest of all time It was SUPERNATURAL
Wow. I’m 26. Really just shows how little I’ve gotten done with my life😂 heath is such a gem. Horrible he left so early
"I think it's gonna be good" *Turns out to be one of the greatest films ever made*
Sifting through all these interviews, that line was really the icing on the cake for me.
Can we stop exaggerating how good this movie was please? Yes it was good, but nowhere near one of the greatest films ever. Edit: Some people can't handle a simple discussion. Sad. *Regardless of popular belief here, I never said the movie was bad, nor did I say my opinion was FACT like how many here suggest. I said the interpretations of the characters being different is FACT. There is a huge difference for overhyped, and bad.* For future readers, please take time read my comments completely before jumping to a conclusions. And if you disagree, then that's okay. All I ask is that you remain respectful. Many here are unable to do so. At the end of the day, it's just an opinion, regardless if you agree or not. There's no need to be hostile over it. The definition of Mob mentality lol 😂
@@bk7064 depends who u ask, but easily best comic book movie of all time, which takes into consideration its the biggest movie genre in history, is an incredible feat to have
@@Coolgamer54321 But, it's nowhere near the greatest "comic book" movie and that's not even an opinion. That's a fact. This film is nowhere near similar to its comic book predecessors when compared to other movies and their predecessors. *Bale's Batman falls flat, Ledger's Joker was the very first interpretation of it's kind, the Tumbler was new, and the city is the exact opposite of Gotham!* It's NOT like the comics.
@@bk7064 bro are u actually joking, what movie comes to Dark Knight? Logan, The Batman, Spider-Man 2 all contenders but nah man it’s pretty much unanimous this is the best CBM
I remember when he was cast, people were complaining because he was the Brokeback Mountain guy, and he wouldn't do the Joker justice... Now when people cast the Joker, they have to live up to what Heath did. Still one of my favorite performances of all time.
facts
Heath's Brokeback Mountain character in many ways the polar opposite of his Joker, but no less committed, detailed, wonderfully drawn and remarkable--also one of my favorite performances on film.
I remember that talk about his casting vividly. I didn't have an opinion on it, really, since I only knew him from a few films. Then I saw his performance and my first thought was, with a smile, thinking about what those detractors must be thinking now.
Nobody who studied film at the time gave a fuck. 2005 gave you a choice about watching a Cash Bio or a Rump Ranger drama. Glad to say I saw Ledger evolve without seeing his propaganda role.
I have no idea what you're talking about, but that could be because you don't either. After all, you're crowing about how proud you are about having zero first-hand knowledge of what you have zero first-hand knowledge of.@@joepermenter7228
No one will ever match up to this joker. One of the best characters ever
batman is my fav of all time and its such a bummer bc joker really made that movie
I couldn’t agree more. Never will there be a joker quite like Heath
You never know. Same was said about Jack Nicholsons. It was a great performance, mixed with a great script for him to play in.
Factss
@@SmokiiMoc NO😠he don't doing
After hearing all the stories about how psychologically tortured Heath Ledger was from playing the Joker it was nice to hear him talking about how much he enjoyed playing the role, how much fun he had and how excited he was about the movie.
I know… I think it feels logical to pin all the torment he underwent on this “insane” character he played, and so that’s what we often hear spoken. But all the stories I’ve heard of the emotionally and psychologically challenging experiences he had on set were not during this movie, but during the filming of his final film afterward, which gets forgotten. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. It was during that shoot that he passed, and so I can only imagine was at the peak of what Ledger was dealing with at the end of his life.
I think as @CinemaStix points out those stories are conflated with what he was going through in the next film, and maybe also exaggeration of more lifelong struggles, but the reason for that is probably how _compelling_ the character is. We _want_ to believe he searched the darkest depths of the human soul to find this Joker and that no one could come back from that whole, but from this audio sounds more like he let loose and threw himself into a role for the sheer enjoyment of being the best Joker he could be.
That’s funny - cos I heard from I think it was Michael Jai White that the guy was able to switch off really easily from the role and chat to the crew.. but idk
Yeah, you’re exactly right. And it was White who said it. He talked about how open and personable Ledger was with all of them during that shoot. That’s not to say he wasn’t fighting his demons at the same time of course.
The idea that this role is what killed him is absolutely ridiculous
God I wish we got one more movie with him as joker “You and I are destined to do this forever”
Fantastic line. And so on point. And agreed. Or a short film. Or anything.
Appreciate that we got one we could have had no movie
I love that line cause I feel it's more referring to the greater mythos. All the actors and al the comics and movies and cartoons. Kind of breaking the 4th wall.
Would love to see the alternate timeline where we got the original idea for the next movie
"You just couldn't let me go, could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You truly are incorruptible, aren't you? You won't kill me, out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness. And I won't kill you, because you're too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever." And thus began 80 comic years between Batman and the Joker.
I still can't get over the loss of losing an actor and person like Heath. Still feels raw.
The artistry is ruined honestly now that he’s gone
was he a good person?
@@andrewrex9041 yes he was Very nice guy and humble
Robin Williams and Heath Ledger, I'd say they're the G.O.A.Ts. We lost them both too soon.
@@badgirlhollywood9741 🙄
Literally one of the greatest acting performances of all time. I remember the first time I watched it being totally blown away by his performance. His interpretation of the Joker is unrivalled and that’s saying something considering how good Jack Nicholson was.
Nah. Nicholson's Joker was way better. Much more fun and entertaining. Modern audiences just want to be disturbed by everything.
@@coolnamebro id also say nicholson joker was way more in line with joker. both did great, and there will come a better performance with time because times and cinema change, just like the change between nicholson and hearing version. heath unfortunately died so it has an extra layer of people sulking over it and will forever mystify the way he played it. he played it great, but nothing men wont do better in time.
I've never really understood why people liked Nicholsons joker so much. For me it was Hamill and then Ledger
You all should know that Jack Nicholson actually Warned Heath Ledger about playing the joker, something to the effect of “Be careful not to lose yourself in the role; it can be dangerous. You can get too sucked in to the point you can’t separate yourself from the part you’re playing- so be careful…”
…and sure enough, Jack was right!
The fact that he plays with his voice to fit the Joker in the whole movie is way underrated in my opinion. He was brilliant in the role in so many aspects of acting.
In broke back mountain he sounds just like a cowboy, he was so talented!
I think what's more disturbing is watching that Tom Waits interview, when you're more familiar with Ledger's performance than the musician. Especially when you remember how talk shows with The Joker tend to *end.*
where have you been since it was released? The dark knight is not underrated lol
@@ShaferHart He never said The Dark Knight is underrated. He said the fact that he plays with his voice is underrated.
It’s not just the accent, he and Chris Hemsworth sound shockingly similar.
The most insane part of his joker is that he's fucking FUNNY. So many times in this film where he cracks a joke. I feel like it's overlooked because the things he says are funny, but they're completely juxtaposed by the situation, so the shock from his horrible actions overwhelms the desire to laugh. In most cases anyway. His makeup is incredible too. The sloppy nature of it gives you a peak into just how unhinged he is. I normally don't like to hop on a bandwagon but he deserves all the love and praise in the world for his incredible work on this timeless film. Thank you Mister Ledger. RIP
Yeah I kinda hate how people tend to say "Ledger's Joker was great but he wasn't funny". He had so many great lines/moments: the "I kill the bus driver" bit, the entire pencil magic trick thing, "let her go" "very poor choice of words"... dude was on fire. It's dark humor, yeah, but what do you expect?
The fire truck on fire always makes me laugh aloud
Oddly enough, Heath did the makeup himself. Well, probably not during filming, but he did it this way first and showed everyone on set. It was also his idea to kind of deconstruct it as the movie went on, to somewhat visually show that he was kind of unraveling. Also, in the scene where hes in Harvey Dent's hospital room, dressed like a nurse, he has makeup on his fingers... which was also Heath's idea. As like a continuity theme, where of course he would put the makeup on himself.
the jokes were mid
Yes! I always chuckle in the scene at the gala where he takes the champagne glass, tosses out the champagne and then drinks from the empty glass. Oddly fitting to his character.
Still the single greatest performance I've ever seen in a theatre. To me, no one has ever disappeared into a character the way he did. When I look into his eyes, no matter how many viewings, someone else is driving.
So true. It’s the greatest acting performance in history
Top 5 for sure but still nothing beats Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood
While his performance was phenomenal, your over exaggerating is not. Have you ever watched Daniel Day Lewis, Jack Nicholson, Robert Deniro, Al Pacino, Tom Hanks, or many others of such calibre? I am not trying to downplay Heaths ability or performance, but this is a bit much is all.
@@Burlykim13 of this ones that you mentioned only Daniel Day Lewis have better preformances. Others are good ofc, but not on this level of geting into character.
Daniel Day Lewis as Daniel Plainview is up there Top 3 from There Will Be Blood. Academy thought so too as he won the Oscar.
The last couple minutes of this interview are absolutely heart-breaking. He's so hopeful about where this might lead, how the movie will be received. Certainly no else has brought to life such a memorable and unexpected interpretation of a character since then, and it's a shame we'll never know what Heath Ledger might have done in subsequent decades.
You nailed it dude!… “perfect choice of words”!.. ❤
James Bond.
Every actor playing the Joker after him will always be under his shadow. He redefined the character, and every actor following him will have to work really hard to give their own interpretation of the character.
What’s crazy to me is that there have already been as many Jokers since him as their has. I don’t envy the pressure they must’ve been under when they accepted that job.
Yes, but also Joaquin Phoenix did an amazing job with the character also.
Yeah… Phoenix did NOT fold under that pressure. Man’s a beast.
Nope, he did not played the Joker. Mark Hamill IS the Joker. Period.
I mean if anyone read a comic - he was already an unstable, anarchist he just portrayed that the best at the time.. somebody else can do just as good - he just set the bar even higher than Nicholson.
Whoever cast Heath as the Joker saw something that nobody else saw. Not in my wildest dreams would I have thought Heath would have been a fantastic joker.
Ye same here if someone would have told me before this movie was made he would play joker i would think it was a joke. Insane performance rip miss u alot! Knights tale still one of my nr 1 movies
Sometimes the person least expected is the perfect choice precisely BECAUSE they're the least expected! It's more surprising. It leaves a greater impact!
same...when I saw the trailer I didn't even recognize it was him...then when I saw the movie I was very impressed with his performance
I remember i watched him during "the patriot" days and didn't even know he was the person behind Joker until his death. I never thought the man behind the makeup would be Heath. By far my favorite version of Joker till this day
Funny it was the exact opposite for me. When Gordon showed Batman the Joker card in the end of Batman Begins, I was in a cinema with my best friend and I turned to him and said I bet you they will cast Heath Ledger for it.
I went to the cinema to watch batman but instead i ended up watching The Joker. Heath totally stole the show in that movie. Legendary performance.
He left this world way too young. What a talent. RIP Heath.
He was so tortured by many roles he was an inspiration
Little did he know his performance transcended the medium and elevated The Dark Knight to heights that will never be equalled.
I was watching an interview with Christian Bale and he was asked if he had a plan for Batman, loke what he santed to accomplish out of the three movies. He rssponded that he actully did and Begins set the foindation of what he wanted to do, "Then Heath shows up and fucs the whole thing ip for him... in the moat beautiful way possible" and he had to sideline it in favor of a better movie.
Imagine how many more different and masterpiece movies this guy would have created if alive....one of a kind taken too early.
Al menos hizo un buen puñado de peliculas pars volver a ver. 10 Things i hate about you, Knight's tale, Monster's ball, Brockeback Mountain, Candy, Lords of Dogtown, I'm not there and The Dark Knight.
@@recetasfaciles2816 Patriot
@@EvisDaison aun nobveo bien esa. La tengo pendiente
Joaquin Phoenix is there to take the mantle and carry on heath's legacy. Two legendary jokers
@@jonasfadi8213 Joaquin phoenix isn’t even comparable to heath ledger
The interrogation scene is perhaps the best bit of acting you’ll ever see in a comic book/super hero film. When Bale is punching Ledger and screaming “Where are they?!”, I’ve said before that when Ledger lets out that perfect laugh, that’s when the Joker came to life. Ledger ceased to exist for a second and the Joker was real.
Still love the fact that Christian actually punched him too because he asked it to be real.
"hehehHAHAha you have nothing" is perfect
What always fascinated me most was how unbelievably unrecognizable he was. I had seen Heath Ledger in multiple movies, and seen the Joker before, but he absolutely BECAME the Joker, as good as the other jokers are, i will always consider him the rawest best one. Rest in peace Heath
💯
I'm so glad I googled this: "Heath Ledger got to see his acclaimed performance as the Joker on the big screen before his death in January, says The Dark Knight director Chris Nolan. “He saw the IMAX prologue. We [screened] that for him in London,” Nolan told a sold-out crowd at a New York Times-sponsored discussion on Tuesday. -Jul 16, 2008"
Thank god
The prologue was only the bank robbery though, right? Did he see the whole film or not?
@@AngryBeardGaming I think they mean prologue in regards to release schedule instead of prologue in the story telling sense. So, I assume yes that he saw it.
Sometimes I keep looking on google because I want to find the answer I want to hear. But I'm so glad you didn't have to in this case
Hahaha THANK GOD RIGHT? like it makes a fucking difference...the idiot died regardless lollll
My favorite part about this movie is it's impossible to see ledger in this movie, you actually feel like you are watching joker. That's when you know an actor has fully accomplished his job I will never forget watching this movie in theaters and thinking I never want this movie to end, such a rare feeling. It's such a shame ledger was stolen from us and we never got the real conclusion to the dark knight trilogy
They were going to bring him back?
@@rasulsamad5860 from what I've read yeah, to some degree, that's kinda the reason TDKR felt off, his passing mightve affected the plans for the film more than we think.
Not only that you don't recognize Heath in Joker's face, but the same for the voice. You know Heath's face and voice, but in the movie you only see the Joker, no matter how hard you think. The only thing was the deepfake video, because you recognized him understandably And the saddest part is that Heath was excited about the movie and wanted to see it but never got to..
I know what you mean about not wanting the movie to end. Today the only director I know who can do that is David Fincher. Like what he did with Gone Girl.
@@rasulsamad5860 they didn't even get to film his final scenes. What's in the movie is all they had. He's literally left hanging as his final shot.
Heath Ledger called the Dark Knight, what would become one of the greatest movies of our time, a "popcorn movie," and went on to give it the best performance of our time. Mad respect.
they way he talks about how people are telling him how much of a good movie it’s going to be is purely amazing, it’s sad that he didn’t get to witness his own work and didn’t get to watch the movie like the rest of us, we’re lucky honestly, his legacy lives on. May he rest in peace.
so true
"I think it's gonna be good" No Heath... It's one of the very best. Rest in peace, brother... We will never forget you.
He always did major roles that were complex and he got into the character so much he got lost 😢
"I think it's going to be good". It was wayyy more then good my dude, you made it iconic. R.I.P Heath.
Heath ledger had a lot of issues long before this movie. As one of the speakers said, this type of behavior was common for how he approached roles. The common story is that he “got too close to the character”, that it somehow tortured him and made the performance so incredible. The reality is that he experienced a lot of mental illness, had trouble sleeping, etc. don’t let the captivating story overtake the crucial takeaway: some people can do remarkable things even when they’re falling apart internally. Rest in peace Heath.
I literally read this and burst into tears. I don’t know. But this video and what you said spoke me. Big props for having this kind of insight. I’m guilty of trying to do my best when I feel so very lost inside 😢
R.I.P 🕊
At 5:35, Heath started talking about that the only time that he can express and relate is only when he's on set and acting and "everything that happens after that is just irrelevant". Kind hints that he was going through some sort of depression and trying to bury himself in his work to overcome it. That's my take at least.
@@thirdmortIm an Aussie and thoroughly read about Heaths life; it was literally normal practice for him to not be anywhere near Hollywood lifestyle and parties. Most other actors and what not said he would see it as a normal job almost, he’d love it but he would clock in and clock out; not stick around to talk or go out to eat, just go home to his apartment alone a lot of the time. It wouldn’t have helped that his family, which was a large one, all lived in Western Australia
@@thirdmort I thought the same. Actors really only work a couple weeks out of the year. What a sad existence if he really meant it. Considering his fate, it seems he did.
Michael Jai White said that Heath was super receptive and professional on set always asking even the bit actors how they wanted to approach a scene. He also said after each take, he was incredibly friendly, approachable and one of the coolest people you could ever hang out with.
" I think it's gonna be good. ". Underrated last words. It turned out fucking awesome , it turned out to be one of the greatest movies of all time. And heath created the greatest joker of all time.
Yup.
Indeed, it highlights a dark philosophy on the necessity of chaos and order and the roles they play to which give the other existence.
@@oogway73 Just like Evil v Good. Ying v Yang or Ying with Yang?
Jack may have set the standard for movie jokers, but Heath forever raised that standard. When you think of “the Joker” you’re most likely going to think of Heath, and his incredible performance. What a shame that he never got to receive the praise in person.
Ledger joker is great and really fitting the dark gloomy setting of nowadays Batman While phoenix also a great joker, he can't fill in the nowadays Batman setting. His characters is built on pity. Getting crazy after life hits his face. But ledger no. He's just straight... Evil
I think, Phoenix's joker is an interesting concept but for joker character, I don't think it needs a background Also ledger joker is crazy but not too crazy like leto, he's got some twisted ideology inside him. That's really cool
Mark Hamill for me.
"I haven't seen anything, but from what I hear, I think it's going to be good." Just, wow. Incredibly prescient, haunting words from Ledger from before the movie even officially released. RIP.
His performance as Joker still gives me the chills. Phenomenal actor.
One of the best performances of the 21 century. I genuinely cannot see Heath behind the makeup, it’s just Joker
Hearing Heath talking about his role and their comparison to the other Batman films, including his to Jack Nicholson, he did so much work and gave it 100% from the first scene till the end for us to enjoy the film. It’s heart breaking that he is no longer with us 😣❤️, he will forever be missed.
Couldn’t have said it better.
@@CinemaStix thank you for uploading, I’ve told other friends to watch, we didn’t know this much information was around. Thanks again 😊❤️🙏
Thank you so much for doing that! Sharing makes the biggest difference. And I know! I couldn’t believe how much was out there until I really looked hard for it.
Not only that, but his performance (as well as all actors) in ‘A Knight’s Tale’ was absolutely incredible.
Same for in Brokeback Moutains
Four Feathers as well....
Growing up, “A Knight’s Tale” was one of my favorite movies. When I found out it was the same guy who played the Joker I couldn’t wrap my head around it and honestly still can’t.
And that’s how you know it’s one of the best performances
His best shit other than playing the joker and playing Gabriel.
His performance can't be duplicated he was the real life embodiment of The Joker such a brilliant interpretation of the Joker character was the perfect amount of darkness and he gave the Joker from the comics an authenticly psychotic persona thatll be revered and admired by actors and enthusiast for years to come... everybody did great in this movie btw but Heath did an incredible job
Cameron Monaghan's performance in "Gotham" series is the closest thing we got to what Ledger accomplished, hands down (yeah, I know there's something very similar in Barry Keoghan's Joker from "The batman"'s deleted scene, but as long as that was an unreleased scene into theatre...)
especially cuz the role of the joker is very hard to get right
@@nikfabbi87 no not even close.
Here’s how you know you’re dealing with someone who 100% understood the assignment. Heath said he wanted to create a Joker for THAT world that was created in Batman Begins. He MADE the Joker for that specific environment. New jokers just try to take inspiration from previous iterations and ignore their current story setting, not letting them create something truly unique.
They did it with The Joker and that turned out great.
They(producers and director) gave space to Ledger to develop his own interpretation of what and who the "joker" is...
So you never saw The Joker then.
I saw somewhere tbat he tried to imagine him as a former military officer who was the recipient of things gone sideways. Hence his knoweledge of explosives and extreme disdain for authority.
This is something that people shitting on Barry Keoghan's take fail to understand
There is simply not enough footage of Heath ledger as the dark Knight joker. The film itself, the extras, the deleted scenes, the post movie interviews, it doesn't even come close to satisfying. He was a force to be reckoned with. I miss him deeply. What a breathtaking performance indeed.
I don't think anyone was ready for just how good he would be in this movie as the Joker, he was absolutely incredible
well said, so true
Everyone: “You think you can give us one of the greatest performances ever and just walk away?” Heath: “Yeah.”
Hahahaha
😄😄
I love to think of him replying with the same “ yeah” he said to the thugs in the movie when he threatened to blow Em up
Omg should i laugh or cry now??!!
I’m putting the word out 500k for the guy brings him back to life, million for bringing him to me so I can thank him for this performance
Heath’s performance was a total transformation , every aspect from the voice to facial mannerisms to the look of the character was unrecognizable.
The Joker we don't deserve, but the one we needed. RIP Mr. Heath Ledger you will be missed.
Not by me.
Greatest portrayal of one of the greatest villains ever. Rest in peace Heath
facts
It's intriguing to consider that at the time, Jack Nicholson's Joker was the best of all time, and that no one wanted to challenge him. Like my goodness, the standard has been raised tremendously high since then! It still makes me sad to think that Ledger was so down on himself and the roles he portrayed, and that he would never see how many people now recognize the Joker as him. Since then, Jared Leto's has been horrible, Joaquin Phoenix's has been excellent, and Barry Keoghan's has been decent to say the least; but no one can beat the Ledger! 🤡
What really boggles me is how every new Joker portrayal seems to arrive in half the time as each previous one. Between Nicholson and Ledger it was an entire generation. These days it’s a matter of a couple years.
I think Leto already redeem himself in his cameo on Zack Snyder's Justice League. He blame WB afet director and script change in the first suicide squad movie because it change his Joker characther
I think leto is good too
Phoenixs joker was also horrible
@@RealPatrickWebb how
When it was first announced he would play The Joker, I flew into a rage thinking it was a poor choice. After watching TDK, I was blown away by his Joker. I went back and saw the work he did in Brokeback Mountain and other films and only realized as his passing that he was a generational acting talent.
In 2007-2008 who would you rather play the Joker?
gay
He really is a great actor. I even love him in smaller budget movies like Ned Kelly or like teen movies like 10 things
i thought exactly the same thing
You flew into a rage? Really? Jesus…
I remember thinking… how is Heath going to play the joker? How??… when I watched it, I was blown away. I remember just thinking, this man just gave us possibly his best performance & left this world without seeing the result. To this day, every time I see him playing this part… it still impresses me. Not only did he nail it, he completely stole the focus in that movie.
I remember thinking the same. Looking at the photos of the casting announcement. I rolled my eyes and thought, "Well, at least the first movie was good." Then, there was the pre-release press about the movie, including Ledger on the MCU set (yes, "MCU" as in Major Crimes Unit) and people associated with the movie's production were absolutely raving about his performance. I don't recall them saying so, but it seemed like they were talking about an "Oscar shoe-in" performance. It was not long after that, we were all hit with the announcement of his passing. Was it hype? I had a lot of feelings that it was. Then I saw the movie and, wow, no, it wasn't hype.
I love the way he eats the food when he bursts into the party and his eyes move to scan the room as he nonchalantly chomps the food . It is all the little touches like that, that just makes his Joker amazing to watch.
Legendary role .Rest in peace Heath Ledger "Joker"
Seconded
I was not expecting this today. We miss your excellence Heath.
Seconded
It makes me sad knowing we won’t see this version of the joker again, but it makes me happy we all were able to witness it & appreciate heath’s genius come to life 🃏❤️
"It's going to be good" that's an understatement. RIP Heath.
dude the editing was the most amazing interview editing ive seen....KILLED IT in this vid!
Hey, thank you! I had a ton of fun putting it together. So I’m really glad you enjoyed it :)
“If it’s a success great, if it’s not great, Fine.” “If it effects you or it doesn’t.” Damn. I was 10 when I saw this movie and to have grown up seeing what it did to film and pop culture afterwards, it really makes those quotes sting.
Tell me about it. The way he talks about it just takes on so much new meaning looking back.
The best joker of all time. Never to be repeated. I honestly think it was the best portrayal of a villain ever. JN said "I warned him" upon hearing he'd passed
and that's why it hurts to hear Heath say so much good about Nicholson when you know he hasn't been very.....nice to him
It's called channeling. I've heard jack Nicholson talk about it in an interview before. Probably not the best thing to do...
@@graceabounds5688 Could you please expand on that, as I'm not quite sure what you mean, especially the Jack Nicholson/channeling part?
What a fucking king. No matter how many Joker/Dark Knight meme one may see for years on end, AS SOON as Heath's Joker reveals his face to the audience I'm all in. His work is on such a level that no single joke, nor a mass of them, could ever tarnish the work put into this performance.
I’ve read his dads book and it’s such a media illusion that he drove himself crazy and this roll killed him , that’s just perfect for the narrative, in actual fact he had such a blast on this movie but he was struggling with sleep and one night just took one too many sleeping pills One of my favourite actors of all time
Definitely! Terry Gilliam said that while Ledger was preparing for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, which overlapped the filming of Dark Knight, he would say how much fun he was having as the Joker.
Terry gilliam also said that Mr ledger was a very level headed individual. Its a shame what happened really.
I've struggled with sleeping disorder my whole life and only recently have it in control. I so empathize with what he must have felt in a way. It's a nightmare.
Agreed.....even the other actors on set said the same.
I've heard all of the nonsense from the rumors about how Ledger was during the shooting of this movie.. Then, I heard and read the interviews of Nolan and the other actors. When Nolan would say "cut", Ledger dropped the persona and acted normal.
One of the best characters ever played, shame he wasn’t around to get the glory, he was awesome in this
right
Miss Heath to this day. Such a phenomenal talent and a truly kind soul and genuine person
He gave one of the best performances in cinema history. RIP Legend.
The best joker in history. People will be studying this man's role for generations.
We lost a great one way too young... just imagine what else he could have bought to the big screen. Rest in peace Legend
When I saw this in theaters, it was the first time I was completely enthralled with a character. His aura took over the theater. It was like nothing I’ve ever seen to this day. We lost someone special 😢
facts
Really wish he more frequently enjoyed the parts of his life when he wasn’t on set. Hearing how much acting meant to him was precious
You know you did a fantastic job when i dont even see the actor in the performance, i just see the character and hearing Heath Ledger talk normally is just so bizarre. RIP to an incredible talent
Heath Ledger was the best Joker hands down. He is a Legend.
Out of no where he pulls that performance out of the bag. No one saw it coming. Incredible. Stunning. So sad he is gone.
Great choices of audio. Can’t believe I never heard Heath talking about it before.
Yeah, it’s a really unique case. He passed before any press interviews for the movie took place. So all these clips are just random cases where he happened to talk about his experience early on. It was a treat listening through all of them.
He passed way to soon, he would’ve been one of the greatest actors in history! Let me rephrase that, he was one of the greatest! He did such a good job in this and Lords of Dogtown!
Lords of dog town is the shit
no u can’t define an actor of of one great role they had no matter how good it was. he could have been one of the greatest but he didn’t have enough time
He played a wonderful joker. He’s my favorite out of all of them. He was a wonderful actor and will be missed always
I agree
Hearing him talk about Jokes gives me goosebumps. He really gave it all and enjoyed to play home. Quite the process and an amazing personmance. Gone too some. He would've done great things. Already was one of the best actors and he would've been one of the greatest of all time.
Thank you for uploading this; I'm so sick of hearing people think that he killed himself because of this role. Hearing him talk about how much fun he had playing the character and how much he was looking forward to seeing the movie put the biggest smile on my face. He was such a beautiful soul and it's clear how much he loved being in the movie, playing around with the character, and truly making him his own thing.
He didn't even kill himself, he accidentally mixed up a cocktail of drugs that were fatal, which were prescribed to him. oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine. Painkillers and sleep medication. Not so different from Juice WRLD or Mac Miller. IMO Oxycodone is the big evil here.
@@nryanmusic literally fake news. He died from an accidental prescription drug overdose. Not to mention he was already dealing with a lot of personal problems and was struggling with drugs before the role.
@@mrmac_ right, you knew him. he died after filming this..but its compleeeetely unrelated
@@nryanmusic google is free. Do a bit of research before saying bullshit lol
@@nryanmusic and you knew him? Please get off your high horse.
If Heath Ledger could have seen what an impact he made in cinematic history, he would still be with us. Rest in peace, Heath. You didn't deserve the pain that you went through.
He wasn’t suicidal.
@@kensuke0 these people act like they know what really happened it’s so pathetic
He supposedly didn't want to die. It was an accidental overdose/mixing involing sleeping meds for his insomnia and pain killers.
@@ryanfredericks4403 another victim of big pharma. They make billions of dollars over the bodies of millions of people.
cinematic history?😅🙄🙄I watched it once,,it's no citizen kane
Best acting performance of all time
5:13 That doesn't even look like the Joker, even though it's Heath Ledger in full costume and makeup. It really goes to show what an amazing physical performance Heath Ledger gave too. Incredible.
The line joker says comparing himself to dogs chasing cars is by far my favorite line by him
Truly one of the only performances where I dont see the actor behind the mask, I only see the joker. What an amazing portrayal
Still to this day my favourite acting performance of all time
I know heath feels our love for him just as an overall actor. Rest In peace to that legend of a man and actor. What an amazing print he left on the world with his acting especially as the the Joker. The fact that, to this day, no matter who had portrayed Joker, everyone still compared them to Heath’s performance.
The greatest of all time. RIP Heath. Your legend will live forever.
it's a good performance, not the greatest movie ever.
@@hexcodeff6624 A good performance? Lol. That's like calling a lamborghini a good car. There's a reason why the entire world considers Heath's performance as one of the goats. You're just too slow to comprehend that. Stick to watching your shitty "The Batman" and leave TDK for the big boys.
@@RS-kt6bo Why are you so triggered? If you think a Lamborghini is a good car, then you basically just fell for luxury marketing. Kinda cringe. And I've never even seen "Da Batman". Really sorry though for not literally sucking Heath Ledger's cock and calling it a "good" performance. That was really mean.
@@hexcodeff6624 A literal nobody that could never afford one, has never driven one and will never drive one calls a supercar bad, that's pretty rich. The only thing cringe is some snot nosed kid getting his insides twisted and has the urge to write some dumb BS in a futile attempt to go against the grain. The whole world thinks the man's performance was legendary. He was the first actor to ever win an Oscar for a movie that belongs to the comic book genre. The Dark Knight almost made 2 billion dollars worldwide and this fool says it was "Good". If I'm sucking Heath Ledger's D for calling a spade what it is then guess what I'm doing when I say your Mom has a tight a$$ 😏. Now take your L and gtfo of my thread ballbag.
Hands down one of the best acting performances ever
My favourite actor of all time, taken too soon, miss Heath dearly
As an artist, I can say with out hesitation that Heath Ledger is 1 of the greats that we strive to be on the same plateau as. To give performances as inspiring and memorable as Heath would be phenomenal to claim. We all have our strengths and creative talents to draw upon, but to have a legacy such as Heath would be rewarding. It is always sad when we lose a talented person of any stature. But when you have a giant that has put out performances where you are more engrossed in the antagonist more than the hero, go at such a young age, you reach for a towel to wipe the tears over a box of tissues. It is a loss not to just the profession, but to the world. He will be sorely missed. :(
3:27 Those eyebrows killed me.
Hearing his voice again surprised me. I love how much he loved this role. He was iconic.
I always have, and always will have a special place in my heart for Jack's Joker. When I heard this was coming out and that Heath was going to play Joker, I thought "oh man,. why would they set the guy up for failure like that? There's no way he gets CLOSE to Jack." I had seen Heath in a few movies already and really loved him, but this just seemed FAR out of rang for him. I can honestly say at this point, that his is probably the best Joker ever. At the very leas its 1 and 1a between them. Heath went from really good, young, up and coming actor to absolute, all-time Hollywood legend with this role. It's just so sad he isn't around to explore that gift even further. I can only imagine what he may have done since then.
the fact that he really wanna see the movie result and couldn't make it is just sad.
Broke my heart hearing him say that.
He did see it though...
@@veematoo i think he just see the unedited version :/
Anyone else start tearing up @5:33? 😳
Each joker so far has been played well. His especially was a great turn of character by far of them all.
No discredit to any of the other cast in The Dark Knight, but Heath's performance was amazing. Still to this day once of the finest performances/characters I've ever scene in a movie.
He gave us a once in a lifetime performance. So thankful for his role in this movie.
Funny how only two Oscars have been given to an actor for a role in a comic book film,and they were both for The Joker.
The joker is also one of the few characters that has 2 oscars
He forever changed film with this role.
A masterful performance. A shame such a talent died so young. RIP.
Hands down the greatest performance and character I've ever seen. Truly masterful.
Simply the best Joker ever, Heath set the bar so high it will take alot and incredible acting to fill these shoes. RIP Heath and Thank You for the best Joker ever made..
When i was a teenager watching this movie everyone in the theater was so invested laughing screaming easily top 5 movie going experiences of my lifetime!
it's one of my most memorable theater experiences too
What an amazing actor and such a great loss.😢
I really wish he got a chance to see how successful this movie was and how legendary his Joker became.
Jack Nicholson literally played the darker version of Cesar Romeros joker because that's about all they had other than the comics to use. It wasn't all jack that was responsible, Tim Burtons directing style played a big part in the jokers character. Having said that jack did a brilliant job giving us the best (at the time) version of the joker.
We all know Mark Hamil is the best Joker of all time.
The shining, one flew over… helllo??
I love jack and what he did as a joker,cause it came natural..but heath performance as a joker is in another level,because of how we know heath as a gentle,prett boy.
@@behtv6552 Wow. Thats what it was. Nicholson still did look like himself. A caricature of himself. Ledger didnt look, sound, act ANYTHING like himself. I think I was scratching my head when I heard Ledger was playing joker. Im like what? why? See the movie mind is blown