who did heath ledger based the joker off of
The Joker (The Dark Knight) The Joker is a fictional supervillain from American comic book publisher DC Comics and the main antagonist in Christopher Nolan's 2008 superhero film The Dark Knight. He was portrayed by late Australian actor Heath Ledger. Ledger's interpretation of the character is specifically influenced by the graphic novels Batman: The Killing Joke and Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth. In the film, he wears the character's traditional color palette, while his facial appearance includes clown makeup that covers facial scars of a Glasgow smile.
The Joker (The Dark Knight) The film's interpretation of the Joker embodies themes of chaos, anarchy and obsession: Throughout the film, the character expresses a desire to upset social order through crime, and defines himself by his conflict with Batman. The character also explores techniques found in Ledger's previous performances, including his clown act in Terry Gilliam's fantasy film The Brothers Grimm. Further, it references paintings by artist Francis Bacon, Anthony Burgess' novel A Clockwork Orange and various punk rock musicians.