How a Vaudeville Star Inspired Joaquin Phoenix’s Oscar-Winning Joker
Joaquin Phoenix's turn as the Joker earned him an Oscar, but his method was anything but conventional. Instead of looking to past portrayals, he drew from a surprisingly obscure source to create his unique, unsettling character. Discover the unlikely performer who shaped his award-winning role.
The Joker is more than just a comic book villain; it's a role that has challenged some of Hollywood's greatest talents. From Cesar Romero's campy classic to Jack Nicholson's manic energy and Mark Hamill's iconic voice work, the character has proven to be incredibly dynamic. After Heath Ledger’s haunting portrayal in The Dark Knight won him a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, many thought the role had reached its peak. Jared Leto's widely panned attempt in Suicide Squad only seemed to confirm that belief. Yet, Joaquin Phoenix bravely stepped into those giant shoes for Todd Phillips' grim origin story.
A Gritty New Gotham
Joker was a comic book movie unlike any other. It stripped away the fantasy, plunging audiences into a brutal, realistic world modeled after 1970s New York City, with heavy influences from the films of Martin Scorsese. Batman was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the story centered on Phoenix as a lonely, mentally unwell man who is pushed to the edge by a cruel society, eventually adopting the “Joker” persona.
The movie sparked intense debate over its handling of psychological issues and political violence, but it became one of the most talked-about films of 2019. It also shattered expectations by becoming the first R-rated release to gross over $1 billion worldwide.
An Unconventional Muse
Even the movie's biggest detractors couldn't deny the power of Phoenix's performance. He accomplished the near-impossible, creating a version of the character that was both unique and strangely sympathetic, without simply rehashing what came before. His work deservedly earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor. The secret to his fresh take wasn't found by studying Nicholson or Ledger, but by looking to a much older, more obscure performer.
“I think what influenced me the most was Ray Bolger,” Phoenix told the Associated Press, “There was a particular song called ‘The Old Soft Shoe’ that he performed, and I saw a video of it, and there’s this odd arrogance almost to his movements and