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John Lithgow Still Regrets Passing on Playing the Joker in Tim Burton’s Batman

D

Dalek

Member
John Lithgow Still Regrets Passing on Playing the Joker in Tim Burton’s Batman

Tim Burton’s Batman kicked off our modern superhero craze, and, thanks to a fortuitous profit-sharing arrangement, ended up making Jack Nicholson a very rich man. But as it turns out, Nicholson wasn’t Burton’s first pick to play the Joker. First, he approached John Lithgow, who says he still regrets turning the director down. “My worst audition was for Tim Burton for Batman,” Lithgow told Vulture this weekend at the Tony Awards. “I have never told anyone this story, but I tried to persuade him I was not right for the part, and I succeeded. I didn’t realize it was such a big deal. About a week later I heard they were going after Robin Williams and Jack Nicholson.”

It was the second time Lithgow missed out on the role: Before Burton, director Joe Dante had planned to cast the actor as the Joker in his own never-made Batman film. But at the time, Lithgow felt like he just didn’t have the bandwidth.
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Damn this would have been freaking amazing.
 
DJ_Lae

DJ_Lae

Member
I'm trying to picture it in my head and I still can't decide whether it's awesome or awful.

It would certainly be a spectacle, though.
 
D

Dalek

Member
lastplayed said:
Ha, that would've been something.

Wasn't Keaton a pretty controversial pick at the time? I'm glad that went through.
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He was controversial in as far as he was seen as a comedian-he had been in mostly comedy movies till that point and it was hard to see him as a brooding superhero.

He was great though!
 
K

kess

Member
I think I could dig it. It'd be halfway between crazy Twilight Zone Lithgow and I don't know what
 
K

kaitoe

Member
Watching John Lithgow play Winston Churchill on The Crown has convinced me that, in his younger days, he could've played a terrifying Joker.
 
One Eyed Willy

One Eyed Willy

Member
When I think about what makes the original Batman the best Batman made, honestly ... it's Jack really. So John may have been great, but I only assume that with rose tinted glasses knowing only now in 2017 how great John Lithgow is.

However in the 80s, John was doing Harry and The Henderson's and not really making a great name for himself. I'll continue to assume that Jack set the bar and carried the entire movie.
 
L

lastplayed

Member
kaitoe said:
Watching John Lithgow play Winston Churchill on The Crown has convinced me that, in his younger days, he could've played a terrifying Joker.
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He was brilliant in that.

Dalek said:
He was controversial in as far as he was seen as a comedian-he had been in mostly comedy movies till that point and it was hard to see him as a brooding superhero.

He was great though!
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I like to think it was the insanity in the eyes that got him the role.

cc65cba2be719ceaf89e659355eae1df.jpg
 
O

old manatee

Banned
One Eyed Willy said:
When I think about what makes the original Batman the best Batman made, honestly ... it's Jack really. So John may have been great, but I only assume that with rose tinted glasses knowing only now in 2017 how great John Lithgow is.

However in the 80s, John was doing Harry and The Henderson's and not really making a great name for himself. I'll continue to assume that Jack set the bar and carried the entire movie.
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Lithgow played an awesome psycho in Blow Out in 1981.
 
S

Sojgat

Member
I remember thinking he'd have made a great Joker after seeing him in Raising Cain. Had no idea he was actually offered the role twice.
 
R

Rydeen

Member
They used Robin Williams as leverage to get Jack Nicholson, they never seriously pursued him for the role.

The circumstances were different in each case: for Batman, Cronin says Warner Bros. always wanted Nicholson as the Joker and simply used Williams' known desire for the role as leverage in negotiations.
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Chuckie

Chuckie

Member
Thank God.
I seriously cannot stand that guy. Although tbh, that is purely because that horrible show 3rd Rock from the Sun.
 
R

Rydeen

Member
It's interesting that John Lithgow shares a Mid-Atlantic accent in common with Mark Hamill's Joker voice, I wonder if that's a coincidence or if Joe Dante and Tim Burton were thinking of that when they were interested in him for the part.
 
F

Fast Forward

Member
I definitely think he could have done it. Obviously he's a great actor for starters, but he has has also shown he he a zany/eccentric side to him in a few of his acting choices.
 
F

Fancyarcher

Member
Considering how big that film was I'm sure every actor who was considered / offered a role probably regrets turning it down. Lithgow could have been a great joker anyway.

Wag said:
Would have been better as Lex Luthor.
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He apparently basically played Lex Luthor the businessman in Santa Claus: The Movie, and well he certainly was the hammy highlight of that messy film. Lol!
 
highrider

highrider

Banned
There's an old movie called Blowout with John Travolta, Lithgow played a very menacing killer in it.

Edit: Ahh I see Exploder beat me to it. I figured I was the only old guy who would remember this movie lol
 
D

DeathyBoy

Banned
kaitoe said:
Watching John Lithgow play Winston Churchill on The Crown has convinced me that, in his younger days, he could've played a terrifying Joker.
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Go watch Blow Out.

1980s Lithgow in DePalma films was fucking terrifying. Dude is an amazing actor.
 
B

border

Member
Lithgow is fine as a cold, emotionless sociopath. I can see him really bringing the humor and charisma needed to play the Joker, though. I can't believe that Nicholson wasn't their first choice. Either way though, Burton chose wisely.
 
H

HyperZone<3

Member
border said:
Lithgow is fine as a cold, emotionless sociopath. I can see him really bringing the humor and charisma needed to play the Joker, though. I can't believe that Nicholson wasn't their first choice. Either way though, Burton chose wisely.
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for a look at how he was for doing just that, in that era specifically, check out the very pulpy, stupid, but fun flick Ricochet. Wherein Lithgow plays a bargain basement version of Hannibal Lector against a young and hungry Denzel Washington. Its very often just the right sort of ridiculous.
 
E

EGM1966

Member
Love Lithgow. He'd have been great and it would have been interesting to see a bulkier Joker with the level of menace Lithgow can muster.

That said Nicholson was great so no worries.
 
D

DeathyBoy

Banned
border said:
Lithgow is fine as a cold, emotionless sociopath. I can see him really bringing the humor and charisma needed to play the Joker, though. I can't believe that Nicholson wasn't their first choice. Either way though, Burton chose wisely.
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Uh, what?

He can do both. Blow Out to the over the top comedy of 30 Rock is not something your average actor can pull off.

Dude would've nailed Joker hard. I don't see how that's up for debate. He is legitimately a stunning actor.
 
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