The beloved and wonderful actor Tim Curry has sadly passed away at the age of 80. Known for countless roles across a variety of film genres, including IT, Legend, Clue, and of course, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the genius and wit of Curry will never truly fade away. But, among his many performances, there’s one that has oddly be lost to time, mostly because it never really happened.
Today, many fans of DC superheroes and Batman in specific will cite the 1992 show Batman: The Animated Series as a high point in pop culture history. And, as any Bat-fan can tell you, Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, voiced the Joker throughout Batman: The Animated Series.
That is, at least in our universe. In another timeline, the first choice to play the Joker, Tim Curry, would have stuck. That’s right, Curry was the original 1992 Joker, and his terrifying performance has survived to this day. As wonderful as Hamill was in the role, it’s hard not to look back on this moment and wonder if Curry’s version of the Joker isn’t the most terrifying and strange of all time.
Tim Curry originally played the Joker in 1992
While the details as to why Curry was replaced on Batman: The Animated Series remain somewhat disputed. But in the 2021 documentary film Stay ‘Tooned! Presents – Batman: The Animated Series, producer Eric Radmoski and Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy talked about what made Curry’s take on the Joker so distinct and memorable.
“We didn’t want the Joker to be a bumbling, goofy, idiot…and the dark side was completely second nature to Tim,” Radmoski recalled in the documentary.
“He was terrifying, and like, lock up the children and don’t let them watch,” Conroy said. “Tim was just a little like a horror movie…crazy scary.”
Generally, it seems that the production team of Batman: The Animated Series went in another direction because, in a sense, Curry was too good at his job. As Radmoski said in Phil Machi’s documentary: “I don’t think we fully knew what the balance of that character should be.”
It’s also possible that Tim Curry’s performance inspired what Mark Hamill did with the character, at least according to one of the directors on the series. “Mark did make it his own,” director Dan Riba said in the same documentary. “But on the first couple [of episodes] he’s kind of like doing his take on what Tim had done.”
Tim Curry later returned to the DC animated universe
Even though he didn’t end up playing the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Curry did return to a few more DC projects over the years. He played the voice of Mutro Botha in Batman Beyond, a sci-fi sequel to Batman: The Animated Series, and later played G. Gordon Godfrey in the animated show Young Justice.
Known for his incredible voice and theatrical style, Curry will be missed. But you can’t help but wonder if perhaps one of his best roles was the one he never fully was allowed to embody.
from Men's Journal https://ift.tt/o57mBHx
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