The curse of the Joker

[snopes]

Comment: Heath Ledger was warned by Jack Nicholson that taking the role of
the Joker in Batman could be dangerous and he should be careful not to let
the character take over his life. Heath Ledger's insomnia and behavior
that ultimately led to his death were due to his inability to heed Jack's
warning. The role of The Joker tortured his soul.

(this story is circulating among teen agers)

[Tarquin Farquart]

And then there's Cesar Romero. He died of bronchitis.

[bthyb]

I'm actually surprised that I haven't heard any parallels between Heath Ledger and Brandon Lee, given the makeup both are wearing in their last films.

So what did Jack Nicholson suffer from after the role? IMO, he always looks pretty healthy on the side lines.

Slightly off topic, but I had a co-worker that was convinced that Heath's role in Brokeback Mountain was what lead to his downward spiral.

[candy from strangers]

Originally Posted by bthyb

I'm actually surprised that I haven't heard any parallels between Heath Ledger and Brandon Lee, given the makeup both are wearing in their last films.

The roommate and I were discussing the same thing just the other day! It came up when I mentioned my friend in junior high who wouldn't shut up about Brandon Lee being her favorite actor, so finally I asked if she'd ever seen him in anything aside from The Crow, and of course she hadn't. That story was OT, but it still bugs me to this day, so I tell it at every opportunity

Anyone else think the title of the OP would be the best story acrh ever for a comic? Think about it: The Joker combined with the Santeria in Perdita Derango...(drool)

[Singing in the Drizzle]

Heath Ledger was warned by Jack Nicholson that taking the role of
the Joker in Batman could be dangerous and he should be careful not to let
the character take over his life.

Bold mine. I would think this is good advice for any actor in any role.

[BamaRainbow]

Well, I don't believe the BS about Nicholson's "warning". Nicholson, in the last 30 years (at least), hasn't actually played ANY role--every role I've seen him in during the given time frame has basically been just Jack Nicholson in different clothes. His Joker was hardly different from Jack Torrance (of The Shining), aside from the make-up nor did I find it much different from his Devil role in The Witches of Eastwick. (Even Nicholson's Melvin Udall, from As Good As It Gets, is little more than a subdued version of the Joker or Jack Torrance.)
I'd find this to be far more credible had all this behavior been noted during the filming of Dark Knight, but I don't recall anyone coming out since Ledger's death with any comments that Ledger was suffering such problems during the filming.

Originally Posted by Tarquin Farquart

And then there's Cesar Romero. He died of bronchitis.

At the age of 87. It must be a curse. No one would ever die naturally at such a young age.

Steve S.

[snopes]

Comment: "Curse of "The Dark Knight" film"

1) November 2007: crew member, Conway Wickliffe, dies during filming

2) January 2008: Heath Ledger passes away to a drug overdose, the need for
the prescriptions attributed to his role as the Joker in the film, he
"lived" the character like he had many others

3) July 2008: Christian Bale, who played Batman was questioned regarding
allegations of abuse by his mother and sister

4) August 2008: Morgan Freeman, who was also an actor in the movie was in
a horrible car wreck, they had to use the Jaws of life to get him out of
the car and was admitted to the hospital

[Chinchy]

Well, here's a youtube video where Jack Nicholson is told of Heath Ledger's death and remarks, "I warned him." But seeing as how people laugh afterwards, the comment might be tongue-in-cheek...

Originally Posted by snopes

Comment: "Curse of "The Dark Knight" film"

1) November 2007: crew member, Conway Wickliffe, dies during filming

2) January 2008: Heath Ledger passes away to a drug overdose, the need for
the prescriptions attributed to his role as the Joker in the film, he
"lived" the character like he had many others

3) July 2008: Christian Bale, who played Batman was questioned regarding
allegations of abuse by his mother and sister

4) August 2008: Morgan Freeman, who was also an actor in the movie was in
a horrible car wreck, they had to use the Jaws of life to get him out of
the car and was admitted to the hospital

You missed out the first one!

1) 18th November, 2006: Katie Holmes marries Tom Cruise.

[Ali Infree]

Bama Rainbow sez: Nicholson, in the last 30 years (at least), hasn't actually played ANY role--every role I've seen him in during the given time frame has basically been just Jack Nicholson in different clothes.

OT: What about Nicholson's Eugene O'Neil in Reds? He played the playwright as a very tight-assed guy in a very subdued manner. The iceman incarnate, I would say. Still he stole every scene he was in.

On Dark Knight: the list is as convincing as any other list. I am waiting for the McCain Body Count, myself.

Ali "who killed JFK?" Infree

[BamaRainbow]

Originally Posted by Ali Infree

OT: What about Nicholson's Eugene O'Neil in Reds? He played the playwright as a very tight-assed guy in a very subdued manner. The iceman incarnate, I would say. Still he stole every scene he was in.

On Dark Knight: the list is as convincing as any other list. I am waiting for the McCain Body Count, myself.

Ali "who killed JFK?" Infree

Well, it's been about 26 years since I last saw Reds so I can't honestly recall Nicholson's performance. On the other hand, the fact that you had to pull a film from the far end of my 30 year time frame seems to validate my point. (One film in the past 30 years? Out of how many?) If I'd said "the last 25 years", how would you have responded then?

[Rachael]

But wasn't Jack Nicholson's Joker quite different from Heath Ledger's Joker?

[TrishDaDish]

Yes. Ledger's Joker was more violent, psycho, and Teh Sexxay. Men fear him, women want him.

Nicholson's Joker was Nicholson doing Randal McMurphy in painted face. And I wanted to slap it.

[BatmanBeatles]

He was disturbingly hot.

[Ali Infree]

Bama Rainbow sez: If I'd said "the last 25 years", how would you have responded then?

I wouldn't have. I love the over-the-top Jack, nothing makes me howl louder than his turn in The Witches of Eastwick, except of Al Pacino in Scarface for entirely the wrong reasons.

As the Joker, Nicholson was reprising his persona a bit, I didn't find him that threatening, but entertaining. How many of his charactes were as neurotic as in As Good As It Gets or as lost as in About Schmidt? He really is one of our very good actors.

Ali "nearly OT" Infree

[JoeBentley]

- Ceser Romero, played the Joker on 18 episodes the 1960s Batman television series and in the 1966 film. Died naturally of bronchitis at the age of 87.

- Jack Nicholson, played the Joker in the 1989 Batman film. Currently still alive at the age of 71.

- Curtis Armstrong, played the Joker in an episode of the television show Birds of Prey and in a Batman themed On-Star Commercial. Still alive at the age of 54.

- Heath Ledger, played the Joker in The Dark Knight. Killed in an accidental drug overdose in 2008.

- Mark Hammil, voices the Joker in the DC Animated Universe. Still alive at the age of 56.

- Larry Storch, voiced the Joker in the Hanna Barbara / Filmation Animated Universe. Still alive and doing voice work at the age of 85.

- Frank Welker, also voiced the Joker in the Superfriends series. Still alive and doing voice acting at the age of 62.

- Lennie Weinrib, voiced the Joker on several episodes of Scooby Do. Died of a stroke in 2006, at the age of 71.

- Kevin Michael Richardson, currently voices the Joker on The Batman cartoon series. Still alive and doing voice work.

So out of 8 actors who played the character over almost 50 years 5 are still alive, 2 died of natural causes, 1 died of an accident. That's not a very effective curse.

[TrishDaDish]

Grasping at straws here...

Originally Posted by JoeBentley

- Mark Hammil, voices the Joker in the DC Animated Universe. Still alive at the age of 56.

Okay, so it wasn't when he was playing the Joker, but wasn't he in a car accident...as was Morgan Freeman??!! The curse works, man!!!!