THE DARK KNIGHT: Never-Before-Seen Photos Of Heath Ledger's Joker Have Been Revealed

THE DARK KNIGHT: Never-Before-Seen Photos Of Heath Ledger's Joker Have Been Revealed

Some never-before-seen photos of the late Heath Ledger applying his makeup as The Dark Knight's Joker have been revealed, offering a fascinating glimpse at how his Crime Prince of Clown was created...

By JoshWilding - Oct 26, 2023 08:10 AM EST
Filed Under: The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight was released in 2008 to widespread critical acclaim, with much of that heaped upon star Heath Ledger. The actor died months before the Batman Begins sequel arrived in theaters and later earned a posthumous "Best Supporting Actor" Oscar for his groundbreaking performance as The Joker. 

Ledger died from an accidental overdose resulting from the abuse of prescribed medications, though it's long been theorised that getting into the Clown Prince of Crime's mind contributed to that (he was said to have suffered from insomnia, a condition worsened when dealing with intense acting roles). 

It was a tragic death, regardless, but his work in the Christopher Nolan-helmed blockbuster has rightly earned him "icon" status in Hollywood. 

Now, some brand new photos of Ledger applying his Joker makeup have found their way online. Providing fascinating insights into how the actor underwent this drastic transformation, they offer a candid look at how he helped create this memorable take on the classic Batman baddie. 

Unfortunately, the Tweet/X below doesn't provide a source for where these photos came from (drop us a message in the comments section below if you have any insights). However, we're hoping higher-quality pictures will eventually surface as these really are something special. 

For now, we remain grateful to have seen what Ledger was able to do with The Joker on screen. Prior to the actor's death, Nolan is said to have had tentative plans for the villain to cameo in The Dark Knight Rises, though the notion of him returning for a larger role than that was never seemingly discussed. 

Take a closer look at these new photos below. 

In The Dark Knight, with the help of allies Lt. Jim Gordon and DA Harvey Dent, Batman has been able to keep a tight lid on crime in Gotham City. But when a vile young criminal calling himself the Joker suddenly throws the town into chaos, the caped Crusader begins to tread a fine line between heroism and vigilantism.

The movie's ensemble cast includes Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Morgan Freeman. It would go on to become the first superhero movie to gross over $1 billion at the worldwide box office. 

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UncleHarm1
UncleHarm1 - 10/26/2023, 8:11 AM
A man wearing makeup? Too woke.
ProfessorWhy
ProfessorWhy - 10/26/2023, 8:23 AM
@UncleHarm1 - he also cross dresses in the movie. Cancel it
Matchesz
Matchesz - 10/26/2023, 8:53 AM
@UncleHarm1 - the woke people are the dogs chasing cars, they wouldnt know what to do when they finally radicalize everyone.
MosquitoFarmer
MosquitoFarmer - 10/26/2023, 9:33 AM
@UncleHarm1 - Bet you people would try to have him canceled over this.

UncleHarm1
UncleHarm1 - 10/26/2023, 12:05 PM
@Matchesz - Everybody loves dogs, better than being a bigoted mess of insecurity
Origame
Origame - 10/26/2023, 8:17 AM
I really liked how imperfect the makeup was. Like, he'd be more or less put together depending on the scene and the amount of makeup he'd wear. It really shows he's constantly taking it on and off depending on the situation, which adds to his insanity a bit. Especially with something like the interrogation scene where it starts to get smeared.
S8R8M
S8R8M - 10/26/2023, 8:38 AM
I hope WB will release the deleted scenes.
Apparently, there is a scene where he is in a cell and the guard says Dr Quinn will see you now.
Forthas
Forthas - 10/26/2023, 9:29 AM
I think that if WB were smart and had combined Man of Steel in an expanded universe of The Dark Knight Trilogy, they could have recast Heath Ledger's Joker with Charlie Hunnam...


VictorAlonzo
VictorAlonzo - 10/26/2023, 9:37 AM
@Forthas - I enjoyed watching him as Jax, but I don't think anyone could've pulled off Ledger's Joker.

His scenes felt on the fly, improvised, abstract. You almost felt like you were watching the documentary of a madman.
MosquitoFarmer
MosquitoFarmer - 10/26/2023, 9:31 AM
Man, it's wierd seeing that first photo of him looking all but just like Heath, and then knowing the end result performance. What a gosh darn transformation! Still just incredible to watch. Crushed it.
Fares
Fares - 10/26/2023, 10:17 AM
I love how little behind-the-scenes footage we have of Ledger's Joker because it helps maintain an air of mystery around the character, but I can't help but want to see more behind the curtain.
marvel72
marvel72 - 10/26/2023, 10:45 AM
Fantastic performance from Ledger in this movie,it wasn't a perfect but I'd take it over what passes for comic book movies these days.
Fogs
Fogs - 10/26/2023, 3:07 PM
@marvel72 - Exactly.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 10/26/2023, 3:01 PM
This man did it best.

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