5 unknown facts about Heath Ledger’s Joker

Remembering the actor on his 10th death anniversary

KARACHI: January 22, 2018 marked the 10^th death anniversary of Heath Ledger. The actor, who played the iconic role of Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight died aged 28, just two months prior to the release of his film. According to Digital Spy, The Dark Knight’s Joker has been voted as the greatest villain of all time. The character has been played by various actors as well, such as Jack Nicholson and Mark Hamil. Even Jared Leto tried to portray the true essence of the Joker in Suicide Squad, but failed miserably.

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According to Variety, Ledger also being the youngest actor to play the part, made the best Joker in a list of five other actors who played the role. To honour his performance in the eccentric role, here is a list of five unknown facts about Ledger’s Joker.

PHOTO: DIPLY

1. According to Diply, Ledger locked himself in a room for 43 days prior to filming. This allowed him to feel isolated and be alone with his thoughts so that he could perfectly play the crazy Joker. This isolation went to such extremes that it started affecting his relationship with Michelle Williams. Ledger also had a diary full of sad stories and other Joker-esque things to bring him back to his character. He made sure to keep this diary with him at all times while he was on set to serve as a reminder.

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2. Ledger also had a habit of flicking his tongue which he amplified for his character. Since Joker has a very moist mouth because of his scars, the tongue flicking helped to add depth to the character.

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3. According to The Richest, Ledger did his own makeup for the role. He wanted his look to appear as if it was done by the psychopath Joker himself so he went to the drugstore and bought cheap makeup. Once Nolan saw him in that look, it was the makeup artists’ responsibility to replicate the look everyday on set. Michael Caine who plays the butler in the series also forgot his lines when he saw Ledger in complete makeup.

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4. The scars that the Joker has were originally not in the comic books but Ledger wanted a unique look for his character. The scar that goes from each side of the mouth to the ears was called a Glasgow smile that originated in Scotland, where gang members would scar their enemies that way. The look resembles a creepy grin which is why Ledger wanted to use it for his role.

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5. It is a known fact that if you’re aiming for an Oscar, you should avoid making superhero movies. However, after his death, The Dark Knight was nominated for eight Academy awards and Ledger managed to score one for the Best Supporting Actor also making it the only Oscar received by the film. He was also the only actor to win an Oscar for playing a villain.

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