Heath Ledger Wanted Out Of The Joker Role In The Dark Knight!

Heath Ledger Wanted Out Of The Joker Role In The Dark Knight!

Cinematical is reporting on some quotes from Heath Ledger's agent that Heath himself wanted to get out of the role that made him immortal.

News
By jman1977 - Jun 30, 2009 12:06 PM EST
Filed Under: Batman
Source: Cinematical.com

Sounds like Vanity Fair is releasing these quotes at different times from different sources closest to Ledger. The most popular being about movie blockbuster The Dark Knight. From what it sounds like Ledger had a pay or play deal in place for his performance of The Joker. Meaning it allowed Heath Ledger to do whatever he wanted with the role of The Joker and still receive a paycheck regardless if he remained in the movie or not. According Heath's agent Pecorini, Heath was actually banking on his performance getting axed due to it being way to out there, and was actually hoping he would get fired allowing him to take a nice long extended vacation. Ledger's agent, Steven Alexander gives this statement a little back up by saying Heath "was always hesitant to be in a summer blockbuster, with the dolls and action figures and everything else that comes with one of those movies. He was afraid it would define him and limit his choices."

Say what you will of Heath now, but what is, is what is. Heath turned in the best performance of his career, and the best performance of The Joker to date.

Dont forget to follow us on Twitter!

Follow Us On Twitter!

CLAYFACE Movie From Writer Mike Flanagan Rumored To Be Moving Forward At DC Studios
Related:

CLAYFACE Movie From Writer Mike Flanagan Rumored To Be Moving Forward At DC Studios
BANE And DEATHSTROKE Live-Action Movie In Development At DC Studios
Recommended For You:

BANE And DEATHSTROKE Live-Action Movie In Development At DC Studios

DISCLAIMER: As a user generated site and platform, ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions.

This post was submitted by a user who has agreed to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. ComicBookMovie.com will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement. Please CONTACT US for expeditious removal of copyrighted/trademarked content. CLICK HERE to learn more about our copyright and trademark policies.

Note that ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?
Want to contribute?
1 2
ManhuntersBastardChild
ManhuntersBastardChild - 6/30/2009, 12:49 PM
I agree with you, Jman! Regardless of what he wanted at the time, the performance was magnificent!
superdog
superdog - 6/30/2009, 12:50 PM
good thing nolan allowed him the leeway to do what he wanted with the role. r.i.p. and thanks for hanging in there. although one wonders if he had got fired and taken that vacation if he would still be alive.
vonstallin
vonstallin - 6/30/2009, 12:54 PM
probably still alive, but we can't change time...
Again by far the best performance by him to date...

Although i....um....like..um...his ...errr acting in Brokeback Mountain....
hmmm umm. yea.

lol
he had character in that movie.
theothegreat
theothegreat - 6/30/2009, 12:55 PM
Are you saying he wasn't even trying and still pulled away with a fantastic performance. Makes me wonder how it would have been if he tried to copy Jack's performance of the Joker.
superdog
superdog - 6/30/2009, 12:57 PM
yeah, he was doing something he didnt really even want to do and hit it out of the park....thats probably the best definition of talent there is.
DrRockit13
DrRockit13 - 6/30/2009, 12:58 PM
he was playhing it safe, too many times actors get shit for playing a charecter that is out there, and exspecialy with some actors not wanting to be in those big movies that bring toys and video games and jsut other ways ot make money rather than being a peace of art. too many times movies are made jsut to make all that money, but with baal nolan and ledger, they took it seriously, they made a blockbuster film more than just a block buster but a film that will stand the test of time.
Batmanknight
Batmanknight - 6/30/2009, 1:04 PM
Damn if Heath would have lived maybe he would be talken about Batman 3 the way Bale is.
alten2345
alten2345 - 6/30/2009, 1:04 PM
I really don't think this means that he wasn't trying. It just says that he played the character in exactly the way he wanted to without any limitations. The pay or play deal basically gave him the right to walk away from the film and still get paid, regardless of his performance. I'd say he was probably more worried about the studio trying to reign him in than not wanting to do the role.

Tim Burton has the same kind of pay or play clause in all his contracts as well so he's not hampered by the studios and if he is he can just walk away from it.
Inohaku
Inohaku - 6/30/2009, 1:09 PM
Makes me sad and angry that we loose so many talented people to legal drugs and unscrupulous doctors.

God bless you Heath, RIP.
OptimusPrimeTime
OptimusPrimeTime - 6/30/2009, 1:10 PM
No doubt, Ledgers performance was top notch and unbeatable....

With the way TDK ended with the Joker character very open ended, he would have no doubt been in the 3rd one...it's truely a shame that it's a performance we'll never get to see
superdog
superdog - 6/30/2009, 1:26 PM
i think depp has the same clause as well. he did in pirates cause his whacked out performance there freaked alot of people out. but again, it worked. those two remind me alot of each other.
StephenStrange
StephenStrange - 6/30/2009, 1:39 PM
... so... he was trying to get fired from working on the film because his contract stated that he would still get payed. So does thaat mean he only took the job for the money?

And what about all the reports we heard coming out of WB about how devoted to the project he was? I remember reading article after article about how he even showed up on set even on his off days because he was so keenly into the process.

And how does someone do such a soulful acting job while doing a character that he doesn't even want to do?

How very very strange. In the parlance of the 1970's something doesn't "jive".
SabretoothTiger
SabretoothTiger - 6/30/2009, 1:53 PM
Ya that does sound kinda weird mulder you don't embody a character without tryin or carin you have to put forth effort and love the role and character I mean look at daredevil you could tell ben affleck didn't like that role
thegreek
thegreek - 6/30/2009, 1:58 PM
Ben Affleck was in role models pretty good movie... Off topic i know
superdog
superdog - 6/30/2009, 2:08 PM
i actually like ben affleck.
thegreek
thegreek - 6/30/2009, 2:11 PM
He's ok... I don't really knock the guy .. He is a lucky guy to have had both J.HOE and jennifer Gardner
BOOK552
BOOK552 - 6/30/2009, 2:16 PM
th geek- ben affleck is not in role models, thats paul rudd...
thegreek
thegreek - 6/30/2009, 2:18 PM
He's white he's Ben Affleck ....LOL

Thanks for setting up the joke
superdog
superdog - 6/30/2009, 2:19 PM
ben is a lucky bastard. dont forget he had matt damon too...
BOOK552
BOOK552 - 6/30/2009, 2:21 PM
hahaha the greek nice
thegreek
thegreek - 6/30/2009, 2:28 PM
I try ... I try
thegreek
thegreek - 6/30/2009, 2:29 PM
@ Teabag - drinking is a good thing... U don't remember the pain... Of watching such horrid movies like Daredevil and the first hulk etc....
Supermike
Supermike - 6/30/2009, 2:32 PM
he still overrated
JoshWilding
JoshWilding - 6/30/2009, 2:37 PM
Supermike: everyone is entitled to their opinion-only problem is no one cares what you think so shut up idiot.

Im sure if Heath was alive he would of course be estatic about winning so many awards and getting such praise but in many ways he would have been right-this performance would have defined him! However, winning an Oscar for the part I hope wouldnt have limited his choices as from what I saw in The Dark Knight he would have been a great star in probably a pile more great movies.
ThommyRazor
ThommyRazor - 6/30/2009, 2:38 PM
I must agree with the above stated, that these "quotes" don't mesh with his seeming dedication to the role. If he just wanted the money, sounds like he could've just quit and still been paid. Either way, I again agree and say he turned in the best performance of his career, and a re-defining performance of the Joker that will be nigh impossible for anyone to match.(of course, I said nearly the same thing about Jack Nicholson) R.I.P. Heath, and probably the good Batman movies.
ThommyRazor
ThommyRazor - 6/30/2009, 2:40 PM
Also, while I understand an actors fear of being typecast, does anyone think he would have been? Does anyone think Christian Bale is being typecast now? Genuine questions. I personally don't.
JoshWilding
JoshWilding - 6/30/2009, 2:51 PM
ThommyRazor: I dont think that Bale is typecast-John Conner in Terminator wasnt at all like Bruce Wayne (although they are both Summer Blockbuster type films, being Batman doesnt mean he cant star in other films of that type) and his most recent film 'Public Enemies' couldnt be any different! As for Heath, The Joker was such a unique role that it would have been hard to be typecast into that character so it probably would have just made his career in my opinion and now he would be as big as Bale is!
JeremyBentham
JeremyBentham - 6/30/2009, 3:19 PM
in no way did his outstanding performance lead to any possible limits he could ever have ever again. i never fully respected him as an actor until i witnessed his greatness as the joker
longbowhunter
longbowhunter - 6/30/2009, 3:44 PM
I'm glad Heath Ledger took it to that level. Wether he wanted to get fired or not, it provided the rest of us the chance to see this actor in a new light.
superdog
superdog - 6/30/2009, 3:58 PM
Supermike......that movie de dum pile o crap why yu people be watchin itt.
SlurpeeGuy
SlurpeeGuy - 6/30/2009, 4:50 PM
You have to play it over the top to play the Joker. He did a great job, but I still think Jack's Joker was better due to the fact that he would do things like dance around an art gallery while killing people with Joker Venom or getting upset that Batman Stole his balloons. TDK Joker just pulled a knife on you.
JoshWilding
JoshWilding - 6/30/2009, 4:54 PM
I thought that Jack Nichollson's Joker was childish and pretty un-threatening. And if in real life I was confronted by him I would probably laugh in his face whereas if Ledger's version was holding a knife to me saying "Why so Serious" he would make me piss my pants, lol!
Phinehas
Phinehas - 6/30/2009, 5:19 PM
I liked both Jokers for the medium that they were portrayed. Meaning, for a Tim Burton movie, Nicholson's Joker was spot on! For a more "real-world" feel, I agree, Ledger had done a brilliant job.

With that said, and staying on topic with the article, I have heard Ledger mock CBMs on a couple of occasions. Not the ones made per se, but that comics as a medium are childish. If he had survived this movie's success, his tone might have well changed.
Supermike
Supermike - 6/30/2009, 5:57 PM
That because your a girl joshw24 and only little girls and a 5 year old boy would be scared of Ledger Joker wow a knife how very threatening NOT!
SHHH
SHHH - 6/30/2009, 6:35 PM
lawyer seeking attention, don't trust em. Nolan told a differnt story afterwards and ledgers last interview told a differnt story.
superdog
superdog - 6/30/2009, 6:53 PM
Supermike YOU are a 5 year old boy and it's past your bed time so get some warm milk, kiss your mommy goodnight and go the fck to bed!
THEHAWK
THEHAWK - 6/30/2009, 8:06 PM
I liked Ledger's performance it was magnifacent, but I still prefer Nicholson's.
1 2
Related Headlines
Latest Headlines

Hot Headlines Hot Headlines

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Anime & Manga

Gaming

Horror

Cartoons & Animated Features

Action Movies & TV

Pro Wrestling & MMA News
View Recorder