Batman: With the Joker, Jack Nicholson wanted to scare the kids

The Joker has always been an annoying character! Disguised as a clown, this psychopath who has a grudge against Batman and Gotham City is not surprisingly portrayed by many actors, but the first one who revived him in the big movie was Jack Nicholson.

Previously a very serious movie star, often intended for the informed public, the Shining actor was the studio’s first choice to portray the Dark Knight Rival saga in the first live film after Batman (1966)! And Nicholson had his own idea of ​​how to scare a young audience with his character. Still, Warner had to accept his vision.

We must remember that superhero movies at the time were considered to be a product for children – so were Superman’s four films with Christopher Reeve – and that their “TV series in movies” aspect was detrimental to their prestige. Hollywood industry. Jack Nicholson Remembers For this period:

“I was scared because of how I felt about TV shows and how movies were made and talked about. I did not want it to go away “Let’s make kids more fun characters”. I thought it would be. To be a genre transition film in the full sense of the word and that is why they wanted to take part in it. “

The presence of Jack Nicholson’s caliber actor in the superhero film has intrigued many, with part of the industry wondering what might be interesting for an actor of this caliber when joining a film with a cap and mask for sober children. To play all the clowns.

But what Nicholson cared about was scaring the kids, as he testifies, still in the same video:

From my first experience working for a children audience: The more you scare them, the more they love you. The worse, the better and that was my answer to the Joker.

Despicable man, this man, if you take it literally. And I think every kid likes this guy.

Jack Nicholson made no mistake about it, because Tim Burton’s film was really “transitional” and opened the door to the first wave of superhero films (Batman, Darkman, Blade sequel). In addition, his disturbing presence in Batman brought him a lot of money.

The actor agreed to cut his usual salary from $ 10 million to $ 6 million, subject to receiving a profit percentage. Batman, who has raised $ 411 million worldwide, estimates the amount of bonuses Nicholson received, according to his biographers, is about $ 60 million to $ 90 million. Which is about $ 140-208 million in 2022.

Well done, Jack!