Tim Curry Reveals Why He Lost The Joker Role To Mark Hamill

Mark Hamill's turn as the Joker in the much beloved Batman: The Animated series is legendary for all kinds of reasons. The Star Wars and Big Red One actor managed to encapsulate all that is terrifying about the character, replete with a menacing laugh that, to this day, no other actor has quite managed to top.

But did you know that this wasn't, originally, meant to be? Indeed, the actor was originally billed for a minor part in the critically acclaimed (and Emmy award winning) episode, Heart of Ice, as the villainous Ferris Boyle. Tim Curry - yes, Pennywise the Clown - was actually meant to play the Joker, but dropped out of the role due to reasons unknown.

Until now that is.

Speaking to Martin Lis of ScreenGeek, Curry revealed that he was fired from the part for, well, having a bad case of bronchitis. Literally because of a sick day.

"I did play Joker for a while, but I had bronchitis and they fired me – and hired Mark Hamill. That’s life."

This seemingly contradicts a long-worn rumour that has done the rounds on the internet for a while now - that Curry was dropped from the part because Warner Bros. deemed his Joker to be almost too scary for the show itself. Fans have long been looking for the actor's recording sessions as the character - egged on by the now debunked rumour - but alas, it seems as though Curry's Joker just simply isn't meant to be.

Still though, if anyone does have those tapes on hand, feel free to hook us up. If they even exist at all...

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Are you curious to hear what Curry's Joker sounds like? Or do you think it's a rendition best left unheard? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!