10 Actors You Probably Didn’t Know Almost Played The Joker

With Suicide Squad now in theatres, we're about to get yet another version of, come on let’s just come out and say it, the most popular villain in all of pop culture (Darth Vader doesn’t count, he eventually went good). Jared Leto joins a long line of esteemed actors to have played Batman’s eternal nemesis the Joker on both the small and silver screens – Jack Nicholson, Cesar Romero, Heath Ledger, Mark Hamill, etc. But when all those iterations of the character were cast, it meant that numerous other hopefuls missed out on donning the white make up and green wig. For instance, Ryan Gosling apparently turned down the part in Suicide Squad before Leto signed on the dotted line. Here, then, are 10 actors that were up for the role of the Joker at one point or another. Would any of them have been better than the several versions of the Clown Prince of Crime that we eventually got? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. 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, 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.” 8) Frank Sinatra The Joker of the rat pack, anyone? Yes, singing sensation Frank Sinatra was almost the Joker at one point. In a twist on the usual story of an actor turning down a famous role, Sinatra actually actively campaigned to play the villain in the 1960s show. Unfortunately, Cesar Romero was already contracted for the part. Would the world have accepted a crooning Clown Prince of Crime? Would Sinatra’s take on the character have been as iconic as Romero’s? Sadly, we’ll never know. Oddly enough, the singer was eventually connected to the Joker when "I’ve Got You Under My Skin" was memorably featured in the Batman: Arkham Knight video game. 7) John Lithgow Though previously known for more light-hearted roles in the likes of 3rd Rock from the Sun and Harry and the Hendersons, John Lithgow had something of a career renaissance recently when he gave a terrific performance as the Trinity serial killer on Dexter. Years before that, though, he was asked to play another crazed murderer in Tim Burton’s Batman but turned it down. In what's quite funny in hindsight, Lithgow reportedly pulled himself out of the running for the Joker as he did not think the villainous role would suit his particular acting skillset. If he had taken the dive and gone for it though, Lithgow could well have had a very different career where he was known for playing darker roles. 6) Sam Rockwell Comic book movie fans already known Sam Rockwell as the anti-Tony Stark Justin Hammer in Iron Man 2. However, if everything had gone the actor’s way, he would be famous for playing a villain for both Marvel and DC. You see, Rockwell was one of the actors in the running to play the Joker in The Dark Knight. At first glance, it's hard to imagine that Rockwell’s signature brand of manic comedy would have been a good fit for Christopher Nolan’s post-9/11 interpretation of the Joker that was eventually so well realized by Heath Ledger. However, no one expected Ledger to be as good as he was, so perhaps Rockwell would have knocked it out of the park as well? 5) Adrien Brody The Pianist actor Adrien Brody is not usually one for big-budget movie roles, but he has dipped his toe into major films now and again – generally when he was miscast. For instance, his unforeseen turn as a Hollywood leading man in King Kong. We could have also seen the unlikely sight of him in a superhero film if, like Rockwell, Brody had been cast in The Dark Knight. The actor was actually really keen to play the part and has publicly spoken about playing the Joker again in the DC Extended Universe movies (though obviously that hasn’t come to pass). “I would do it if I feel I can contribute something valuable and that the role would be interesting to me,” Brody said. “To me, the villains are way fun!" 4) Willem Dafoe Rubber-faced Willem Dafoe has already won over comic book fans with his perfectly pitched take (apart from the costume) as the Green Goblin in 2002’s Spider-Man (see the clip above). Given that, it makes total sense that he was previously tested for another cackling supervillain. Dafoe was yet another actor considered for the 1989 Batman film before Jack Nicholson nabbed the part. You only need to look at the actor to see why he was considered. Dafoe really is one of those rare talents who could play the role with minimal amount of make-up. Besides that, he’s got the manic intensity of the Joker and one hell of an evil laugh. 3) Tim Curry Though he's only voiced the character, Mark Hamill is many fans’ choice for the best Joker ever – after playing the role for twenty-odd years since first appearing in Batman: The Animated Series. However, things could have been very different if the production team’s first choice for the role went ahead. When casting the Joker, naturally, BTAS's producers went to someone who had already played an evil clown – It star Tim Curry. Curry even went as far as to record an episode as the character before it was decided that the actor’s menacing tones were just too scary for the younger members of the audience. Instead, they roped in a previous guest star, Hamill, to play a decidedly less intense version. The rest is Bat-history. 2) David Bowie The Thin White Duke himself David Bowie could have been the Thin White Joker if plans to cast him as Batman’s nemesis had come to pass in the late 80s. Batman writer Sam Hamm thought Bowie would have been the perfect choice for the character: "Bowie would be kind of neat because he's very funny when he does sinister roles,” he has said. We would be inclined to agree as the late, great musical genius proved his natural talent at portraying a villain in 1986’s Labyrinth. In that film, he plays a baby-snatching goblin king who lusts over a teenage girl – and yet you still love him. Entertaining the audience while committing unsavoury deeds is necessity for the Joker and Bowie would have had that down pat. 1) Robin Williams A self-confessed comic book fan, Robin Williams publicly expressed his interest in playing the Joker all through his career but was tragically never given the chance. Firstly, the actor was offered the part in the 1989 movie. Unfortunately, in his words, he was “screwed” over by Warner Bros. who allegedly only signed Williams up in an attempt to coax Nicholson to take the part. When the Joker was to reappear in The Dark Knight, Williams again made clear his interest. He was a favourite to get it, too, especially because he had worked with Christopher Nolan before in Insomnia. Sadly for him, Nolan did not come calling. The actor was so eager to appear in a Batman movie he even said he would play “some weird little man in the background in Arkham Asylum.” It’s a real tragedy, then, that he was never granted his wish.