Batman’s most iconic villain is without a doubt the Joker, and for good reason. The maniacal clown has been played a number of times in TV and movies, most recently byJoaquin PhoenixinTodd Phillips’Jokerand most famously byHeath LedgerinThe Dark Knight. When pre-production was in full swing onTim Burton’s originalBatman,Warner Bros. knew exactly who they wanted for the pivotal role of the Joker. Not many things were certain on the set of the accidental masterpiece that isTim Burton’sBatman. The fact the 1989 film would define multiple generations of comic book movies is a retroactive feat no one at the time could have known (unless they had a secret Bat-time Machine).Michael Keaton’s gothic antiheroneeded his arch-nemesis for a good story, yes. Still, studio executives allegedly wanted a bankable co-star to guarantee box office gold and balance out Keaton’s relative lack of experience.
The brass' mindset was essentially “go big or go home,” and they went after a big actor with gusto:Jack Nicholson. The problem was that their actor of choice wasn’t interested. Persuading Nicholson to don the clown makeup took effort on Warner Bros.' part, and possibly some less-than-wholesome negotiation tactics. And while Nicholson was dragging his Oscar-winning feet, a beloved comedian actively sought the part —Robin Williams. Robin Williams was an avid comic book fan and had just exploded into wider cultural consciousness with 1987’sGood Morning, Vietnam.Warner Bros. even offered the Joker role to him, and Williams accepted — so how did Nicholson become the Clown Prince of Crime after all?
Warner Bros. Offered Robin Williams the Joker Role in ‘Batman’
According toNew York Timesculture reporterDave Itzkoff’sbiographyRobin,Warner Bros. offered Robin Williams the Jokerafter the actor had wrapped onDead Poets Society. At this point in Williams' career, he had starred on the remarkably popular sitcomMork and Mindyand transitioned into leading man roles withPopeyein 1980 and an underratedperformance in 1982’sThe World According to Garp. His star-making turn inGood Morning, Vietnamsecured Williams his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor while the film was one of 1987’s most profitable movies. Williams, an existing fan of theBatmancomics as well as video games, anime, and authorIsaac Asimov’sFoundationtrilogy, wasincredibly interested in bringing the Joker to life. Whoever won the part would be the first live-action actor to assume the villain’s iconography afterCesar Romero’scomedic interpretation of the 1960sBatmantelevision series.
Williams' recently proven success wasn’t enough to appease Warner Bros. insistence upon hiring a certified “movie star,” however. Nicholson won the Best Actor Oscar forOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nestand headlined the modern classicsEasy Rider,Chinatown,andThe Shiningbefore winning his second Oscar forTerms of Endearmentin 1983. But between Williams' interest and Nicholson’s disinterest, Warner Bros. asked Williams to step in and play their Joker…but not really.
Robin Williams Also Lost the Riddler to Jim Carrey
According to Robin Williams, Warner Bros.’s offer — which Williams accepted — likely wasn’t sincere. He believes they did it to force Nicholson’s hand. If so, it worked: Nicholson relented andsigned on for Tim Burton’s gothic, shadow-drenched drama. With their preferred actor secured, Williams' acceptance of the offer fell through. In his words, “I replied, but they said I was too late. They said they’d gone to Jack over the weekend because I didn’t reply soon enough. I said, ‘You gave me till Monday, I replied before the deadline.’ But it was just to get Jack off the pot.”
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Losing the Joker wasn’t the only time Williams came within a hair’s breadth of playing aBatmanvillain. In an interview discussing his performance inChristopher Nolan’sInsomnia,Robin Williams had nothing but praise for the directorand cited his work on The Dark Knight trilogy: “I’d play The Riddler in the next Batman, although it’d be hard to top Heath as a villain […] plus, theBatmanfilms have screwed me over twice before: years ago they offered me the Joker and then gave it to Jack Nicholson, then they offered me the Riddler and gave it toJim Carrey.I’d be like, ‘Okay, is this a real offer? If it is, then the answer’s yes.”
What Would Robin Williams’ Joker Have Been Like?
Jack Nicholson turned in a legendary performance full of menace and mayhem, but just like other near-miss castings, it’s fascinating to wonder what the cinematic world might have seen from Robin Williams in Nicholson’s place. Would both actors have balanced extravagantly emphasized humor with frightening chaos? After all, Williams was known and loved for his unpredictable, fluid improvisation. He recordedapproximately thirty hoursof on-the-spot dialogue for theGenie inAladdin, while most of his work onGood Morning, Vietnamwas also invented during filming.
Alternatively, wouldRobin Williams have hewn darkerand tapped into his gravitas side?Dead Poets Society,Patch Adams,Good Will Hunting(his Oscar-winning role),Awakenings,The Fisher King,andWhat Dreams May Come,among many others, proved he was a dramatic actor of equal if not superior, caliber to his renowned humor. The few times Williams played a villain were bone-chilling: the aforementionedInsomniapositioned him as a goading, far-too-clever serial killer going up againstAl Pacino’s weary detective, while his terrifying performance inOne Hour Photoshowed a desperately lonely individual influenced by childhood trauma. Being aBatmanfan likely would have informed Williams’ interpretation as well.
Regardless of how he might have approached the role he sought, accepted, and lost, there’s no doubt whatsoever thatRobin Williams would have been joyful. His talent was a spark akin to no other actor. Even in his darkest turns, Williams embodied the comforting, delightful, and healing wonder that is the art of filmmaking. All cinephiles can do is speculate, shake our heads at studio negotiation tactics, and appreciate the talents of both men — particularly Williams, who will always be desperately missed, dearly loved, and wholly unique.
