Batman’s most famous opponent is the Joker. Heath Ledger’s most iconic portrayal was in The Dark Knight. His Joker was perfectly designed for a serious presentation of the villain. His constant lip licking is the character’s trademark. But did you know that it wasn’t originally planned?
Why does Joker lick his lips so often? From the first scenes with the Joker, we see two trademarks that he often repeats. He pulls his hair back and constantly licks his scarred lips. This fits the character perfectly, but it wasn’t originally planned.
In the documentary I am Heath Ledger (via Digital Spy), it is explained that the prosthetics on Ledger’s face, i.e. the scars, were constantly coming loose. To prevent this, Ledger constantly licked his lips. This was to keep the prosthetics moist so that they would be harder to break. But this suited the character so well that they wanted to include it in the film.
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German trailer for Batman The Dark Knight
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Another Joker refused to shave his beard
Of course, there were other Jokers before Heath Ledger. The first actor to play the clown was Cesar Romero in the 1960s series Batman. Adam West played Batman in the series and it was more of a series for children that relied on silly slapstick and comedy elements.
Cesar Romero also had make-up and dyed hair, of course. But one thing was too important to him. The actor did not want to shave off his mustache. So the white paint was simply applied over his mustache, which is still clearly visible. Here you can see a picture of the role:
In The Dark Knight there is even a reference to the old Batman seriesThe mask that the Joker wears in the first scene in The Dark Knight looks exactly like a mask that Cesar Romero wore in an episode of the Batman series.
The exciting thing about the Joker is that every actor gives the character their own flair. Mark Hamill is also often forgotten, although he has played the clown in countless animated films and series. Of course, Heath Ledger remains the real Joker for many. For many viewers, the Nolan trilogy is the best portrayal of Batman. But did you know that there is a secret fourth film?