Joaquin Phoenix Talks About How He Did His Version Of Joker’s Iconic Laugh

Joker is about to hit the big screens soon and there is nothing more associated with the Clown Prince of Crime than his iconic laugh. To stand up to the likes of Cesar Romero, Heath Ledger and Jack Nicholson’s portrayals of the character, Joaquin Phoenix will need to deliver something absolutely different.

Joaquin Phoenix Talks About His Unique Joker Laugh

One of the reasons why the character enjoys such popularity is due to Cesar Romero’s portrayal of the character, which was followed up by one amazing performance after another. So Phoenix will have to go a very unconventional route to create his Joker’s signature laugh and that is exactly what he did.

Joaquin Phoenix spoke to the Italian newspaper La Republica’s weekly magazine and said that:

“I started [with the laugh], I watched videos of people suffering from pathological laughter, a neurological disorder that makes individuals laugh uncontrollably.”

The laugh is important to Joker because it’s one of the first indications (the green hair and white face shocks first) which the audience gets that something is truly wrong with him. Moreover, his laugh is something which the comics have increasingly investigated as well.

Jared Leto Talks About His Take On The Laugh Of The Iconic Character

While Jared Leto’s version didn’t live up to its hype, but following up Heath Ledger’s performance in The Dark Knight, for which he won a posthumous Oscar for, is certainly a lot of pressure. Phoenix says that the significant task ahead of him was finding his own version of the Joker’s laugh. Both Mark Hamill’s mad cackle and Ledger’s slow, methodical “ha ha ha,” demanded the audience’s attention.

Way back, Jared Leto told ComicBook.com at the red carpet of Suicide Squad‘s premiere that:

“The character is a completely insane madman, with green hair and a great smile.”

When ComicBook.com asked him about his signature Joker laugh, Leto said:

“You know, when I got asked to play The Joker, I don’t really have a precarious laugh personally so I was a bit terrified, This is a guy who’s laughing and laughing in a way that’s very unique. So I worked on it and worked on it, and came up with something that…is very strange, I admit.”

As for the Joker, it is not going to share any connection with the larger DC Extended Universe. Phoenix will star as Arthur Fleck, a failed stand-up comedian whose descent into madness turns him into a villain.

Joker will premiere in October.

If you want to know more about how Joaquin Phoenix perfected his Joker laugh, then click on the video below:

(Source: comicbook.com and screenrant.com