9. He Brings Out The Best
Back in 1989 Jack Nicholson offered a colourful and camp but successful performance as the Joker, darker and more sadistic than Cesar Romero's high-camp theatrical take on the character - which was itself a career high for the actor - and giving Tim Burton's gothic take on the Batman story some serious acting credentials. In Burton's Batman, Nicholson is manic and sinister, referencing but not remaking Romero's character, but pushing him through the director's darker filter to create one of the most memorable screen villains of the period, who still ranks high in villain lists now. The Joker is not Nicholson's finest performance, but for an actor with performances like The Shining and The Departed at the top of his list of achievements, for a comic book villain to rank almost as highly is an admirable achievement, and one that has a lot to do with the power of the source material. And following Nicholson, unbelievably, Heath Ledger - an actor known for teen-friendly fare, and not yet hitting his potential - offered his own Oscar-worthy take on the character, transforming the Joker into an ultra-modern, ultra-dark psychotic villain with a mind like a steel trap, and a disturbing tendency to create chaos and destruction for sport. For Ledger, The Joker was a career defining role, and one that will mark his name in history, and it is no coincidence that the performance came as a result of Ledger's relationship with the character. He allowed The Joker to get under his skin, channeling various colourful reference points, including The Killing Joke to create what he felt was a faithful presentation of the character to screen. The character brings the best out of actors, and the opportunity to see another talent take him on is an irresisible prospect.