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One of the Best Joker Actors Ever Didn’t Think He’d Ever Be Cast in the Role
While there are a lot of villains in the realm of comic book entertainment, there are none as iconic as the Joker and for good reason. Sure, the Clown Prince of Crime is just a great character in general, menacing Gotham City and giving Batman a real run for his money as the Dark Knight’s main antagonist, but a good character is only as great as the talent that brings them to life — and over the years, there have been many actors who have done so brilliantly. Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger’s takes on the Joker are iconic, but there is one actor who may just be the best to ever do it and he didn’t think he’d even get the role all because of another iconic role.
From the moment it debuted in 1992, Batman: The Animated Series was a favorite. The groundbreaking superhero series received widespread critical acclaim and has continued to be a fan favorite for decades and gave fans not only Kevin Conroy’s iconic Batman, but Mark Hamill’s Joker as well. But while it’s hard to imagine anyone being the voice of the Joker now, Hamill went into his audition for the role absolutely certain he’d never be cast simply because he was Star Wars’ Luke Skywalker. In a 2024 Wired interview, Hamill explained that at the time, much had been made about Michael Keaton being cast as Batman because Keaton was an actor better known for comedy so he assumed that he wouldn’t be given a chance at Joker because he was a Star Wars guy.
“When I went in, I thought, ‘You think they’re gonna hire Luke Skywalker to play the Joker? The fans will lose their minds!’” Hamill said. “I was so sure that I couldn’t be cast. I was completely relaxed. A lot of times there’s performance anxiety because you want the part. Here, I knew I couldn’t get the part so, who cares? I drove out of the parking lot thinking, ‘That’s the best Joker they’ll ever hear, and it’s too bad they can’t cast me.’ And as soon as they did cast me, it reversed. I was like, ‘Oh no, I can’t do this!’”
It’s Impossible to Imagine Anyone Else as Joker in Batman: The Animated Series Now
Looking back, it’s wild to think that Hamill was so sure he wouldn’t be cast as the Joker. While icons like Nicholson and Ledger also left their mark on the role, there is just something about Hamill’s Joker that can’t be beat. Hamill brought a delightful, chaotic energy to the Joker that was both entertaining and terrifying in equal measure, embodying the best elements of the villain from the comic book page and molding them into something that is now as much a part of the character’s lore as anything ever committed to print. And paired with Conroy’s Batman, there’s simply not another Batman/Joker duo that’s that perfect.
Outside of him just being perfectly suited for the Joker, Hamill had already portrayed a DC villain. Hamill played Jesse James/Trickster on the short-lived live action The Flash series that aired on CBS following the success of Michael Keaton’s Batman, though Hamill has previously said he doesn’t think his work as the Trickster helped him get in the door to even try for the Joker. It does make his belief that the Joker was out of reach a bit more interesting – and his casting a bit more satisfying.
It’s also interesting that Hamill’s belief that he could never get the role is probably a large part of what actually helped him be cast. As Hamill himself noted, he went into his audition confident and calm. He had no expectation that he could win the part so he went for it in the most relaxed and pure way possible. This likely gave those in charge of the decision a chance to see the most authentic version of what Hamill could bring to the role and to the series and, in turn, probably made it impossible for anyone else to come even close. And for that, a whole generation of Batman fans are grateful.
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