The forgotten actor who steered Joaquin Phoenix to an Oscar: “I completely just stole it from him”
Joaquin Phoenix offered a completely unique version of Batman’s arch-nemesis in Joker, but his inspiration for the role is surprisingly obscure.
In addition to being one of the all-time greatest villains in fiction, the Joker has become a role that many generational talents have aspired to make their own. Cesar Romero, the Golden Age icon, first took on the part in the classic Batman series starring Adam West, but it was the scenery-chewing performance by Jack Nicholson in Tim Burton’s 1989 film and the terrifying debut of Mark Hamill in Batman: The Animated Series that proved how complex and dynamic the character was, which led it to become so coveted for actors to try their hands at.
After the late Heath Ledger delivered an amazing performance in The Dark Knight, which earned him a posthumous Academy Award for ‘Best Supporting Actor’, it seemed unlikely that anyone would be able to take on the role again, with Jared Leto’s failed attempt in Suicide Squad seeming to only further cement that point, but then Joaquin Phoenix fearelessly decided to test fate by accepting the title role in Todd Phillips’ dark origin story Joker.
Joker was unlike any other comic book film, as it transformed Gotham City into a real, brutal world that resembled New York in the ’70s, drawing influence from the films of Martin Scorsese. Batman was absent entirely, as Phoenix played a lonely, mentally ill man who takes on the persona of “Joker” after being beaten down and brutalised by society. Although it ignited controversy regarding its commentary on psychological issues and political violence, the film became one of the biggest talking points of 2019 and was the first R-rated movie to make over $1billion.
Even the film’s harshest critics had to admit that Phoenix had done an amazing job, which deservedly earned him the Academy Award for ‘Best Actor’, his most impressive feat being creating a surprisingly sympathetic and unique version of the character that didn’t feel like a retread of what Romero, Nicholson, Hamill, or Ledger had done, which might be because his inspiration lay with a different classical actor and 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, really, I completely just stole it from him.”
Although Bolger was best known for his charming role as the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, he had begun his career in the silent era and developed many unique physical mannerisms across an extensive run through comedy, theatre, and vaudeville that had a profound effect on Phoenix.
“He does this thing of turning his chin up,” Phoenix explained, “This choreographer Michael Arnold showed me that and tons of videos, and I zeroed in on that one. That was Joker, right? There’s an arrogance to him, really. That was probably the greatest influence.”
While The Wizard of Oz is one of the most famous films of all time, Bolger’s name may not be as well-known to contemporary audiences, and Phoenix’s willingness to cite him as an inspiration isn’t only a fascinating bit of insight about his acting process, but a nice way to acknowledge a groundbreaking performer who should be talked about greatly.
