J.B.’s Heath Ledger Oscar Nod Blog

One thing that goes into every great movie performance is preparation.  The voices, mannerisms, and body language that are shown before you on screen don’t just happen overnight.  Actors put themselves through weeks, sometimes months, of rigorous research and soul searching to turn themselves into the character in which they must portray on-screen.  They go above and beyond the call of acting like a certain character.  They become that character.  Heath Ledger’s genius portrayal of The Joker is no exception.

            It was made perfectly clear by The Dark Knight’s director Christopher Nolan that he didn’t want another “Batman” film series that ended up being jam-packed with neon lights and cheesy catch phrases.   He wanted the atmosphere, as well as the characters, to be dark and gritty.  The darkest and grittiest character in comic book history is arguably the Joker.  To prepare for the role, Heath Ledger locked himself into a hotel room for a month.  He took that time to soul search and form the Joker’s mannerisms and voice.  As he was doing this, he made a diary in which he wrote as the Joker, penning is thoughts, feelings, and plans.  He used this diary to help himself along and keep himself in character.  As well as this, Ledger was given copies of Batman comic books titled “Batman: The Killing Joke” and “Arkham Asylum:  A Serious House on Serious Earth.” 

            This is true devotion to a movie role.  This devotion turned Ledger into the Joker not only on screen, but almost engulfed him while he wasn’t on the set for The Dark Knight.  Some even say that his infatuation with the role, which those close to Ledger claim caused lack of sleep and depression, may have been the final straw that led to end of his promising young career.

            Jack Nicholson played the Joker in Tim Burton’s 1989 hit Batman.  Upon hearing the news that Ledger had passed on, Nicholson replied “I told him.”