10) Peter O’Toole
To make people forget about the cackling Cesar Romero from the 1960s Batman show, the 1989 Batman movie needed to cast an actor with real gravitas who could convince people that the Joker was a real threat. It’s no wonder, then, that they initially considered Peter O’Toole for the role.
It has to be said that the acclaimed British actor, with his lean face and sharp features, would have been a great likeness for the character’s classic comic book look – even if at the time he was slightly older than you would expect the Joker to be. It’s unknown if the actor was ever actually approached for the role, but presumably he wouldn’t have snubbed the part, as he’d previously appeared in a superhero movie in 1984’s Supergirl.
9) Ray Liotta
From his acclaimed performance in 1990’s Goodfellas, Ray Liotta has made a name for himself playing villainous or unhinged characters. Given that, it makes a lot of sense that Burton and his team also considered getting the actor on board to portray the Joker.
Unlike O’Toole, Liotta definitely was contacted about the role. However, he immediately turned them down. Looking back, it seems that Liotta might be regretting his choice.
“I remember right after a movie I did, [1986 comedy road movie] Something Wild, Tim Burton wanted to meet me for Batman,” he told The Playlist. “And at that time, I said, ‘What are you kidding me? I’m an actor.’ But now it’s changed; now it’s good because if you do that you get other movies.”
