You can separate all film discourse into two distinct periods in history: everything that was written before the release of Todd Phillips‘s “Joker,” and everything that was written after. “Joker” was always going to be a polarizing film—our own Jessica Kiang, in her positive review, suggests that tickets to “Joker” should come with a three-day waiting period—but with a month to go until the film hits theaters, the film promises to be a major part of the conversion for weeks and weeks on end.
READ MORE: Our Venice review of “Joker” calls the film a “storytelling achievement”
And while early reviews for “Joker” have been consistently positive, even those who struggled with the movie have marveled at Joaquin Phoenix‘s performance in the title role. This has led many to wonder how Phoenix’s take on the character will compare to the previous iterations by Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, and Jared Leto. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Phoenix opened up a little about his creative process, sharing a few insights into what the character meant to him. In a major shock, Phoenix even admitted that his version of the Joker is based almost entirely on Bill Murray‘s character in the 1990 cult classic “Quick Change.”
(Just kidding. Would’ve been great, though.)
In the interview, Phoenix, of course, says he did not base his character on any of the previous iterations of the Joker. “For me the attraction to make this film was we were going to approach it in our own way,” the actor explained. “I didn’t refer to any past iterations of [the Joker]. It just felt like our own creations, which was really important to me and the key to it.” Phoenix also explained that his process was ever-evolving, allowing him to tinker with the character right up through the end of production. “He was so many different things to me. Who he was in the first few weeks of shooting was completely different than who he was in the end. He was constantly evolving. I’ve never had an experience like this. The more unpredictable and looser we left it, the more exciting it was.”
READ MORE: Director Todd Phillips explains why you shouldn’t go by the leaked “Joker” screenplay
Perhaps the most interesting part of the interview, though, is the bit about how Phoenix discovered his own laugh for the character. Fans of the “Batman” animated series carry anecdotes about Mark Hamill scream-laughing in his car during Los Angeles traffic close to their heart, and it looks like Phoenix went through his own process to discover his character’s constant and unprovoked peals of laughter. “I didn’t think that I could do it. I kind of practiced alone but I asked Todd to come over to audition my laugh. I felt like I had to be able to do it on the spot and in front of somebody else. It was really uncomfortable. It took me a long time.”
Love him or hate him, it seems that the Joker is quickly becoming the kind of iconic character that any method actor hopes to tackle. Hamlet, Hercule Poirot, and the Clown Prince of Crime? Sounds about right.
“Joker” laughs its way into theaters on Oct. 4.