heath ledger steals batman movie joker gimmick from a dead man named andy kaufman

Why am I writing this about heath ledger and his role as the joker in the dark knight?

I am writing this about heath ledger, because I happen to be a huge fan of the late andy kaufman, and when I heard heath ledger talking like an andy kaufman character, it really bothered me, that andy kaufman was not getting the proper accolades. In this review, I hope to right the wrongs of keeping the inspiration for the dark knight joker character a secret until now!

heath ledger as the joker

heath ledger as the joker

heath ledger as the joker

heath ledger is great as the joker in the newest batman movie, the dark night. but where did he come up with the joker character and the way he played it?




heath ledger stole it from a dead man named andy kaufman. Andy had a character he developed called tony clifton. if you watch the following videos, you will see that heath ledger stole everything for the joker from the tony clifton character.



who is tony clifton?


Born out of the tales that Kaufman’s writing partner Bob Zmuda told him about a former employer, Tony Clifton was the distillation of every bad story that ever circulated about any 1960s lounge entertainer. An abrasive loudmouth armed with bad one-liners and an even worse singing voice, Clifton was the guy who clearly forgot to leave his ego in the wings but would bring it out on stage with him to hilariously disastrous results.

Decked out in oversized sunglasses and a rumpled peach tuxedo, Clifton was frequently downright abusive to his audience, loudly berating them when they didn’t recognize and show appreciation for his obvious “talents.”


He’s a character through which Kaufman savagely deconstructed celebrity in both how it can affect performers and how audiences react to its presence.



here is proof that heath ledger stole everything from tony clifton



the following is more proof, that health ledger is a crook

now watch a trailer from the dark knight, and hear and see heath ledger impersonating tony clifton in his role as the joker.



who is andy kaufman?

Without a doubt, one of the most unique comic voices of the 20th century was Andy Kaufman. Hailing from a deceptively average upbringing in Long Island, NY, Kaufman amazed audiences with an act that deftly manipulated them into thinking one thing was happening on stage before revealing what they were watching was something else entirely. No mere standup comic, Kaufman played with his audience in such a way that could be described as interactive performance art. And of all of Kaufman’s bits and characters that could be described as “interactive” none were more so than lounge singer Tony Clifton.

Who is heath ledger?


Ledger most recently earned Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA and SAG Award nominations and won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Ennis Del Mar in the award-winning drama Brokeback Mountain. His other credits include Casanova, Monster's Ball, Lords of Dogtown, The Brothers Grimm and The Patriot.

"Chris' unique vision is what made Batman Begins such an outstanding film and we could not imagine anyone else at the helm of The Dark Knight," said Robinov. "We also can't wait to see two such formidable actors as Christian and Heath face off with each other as Batman and The Joker."

"I'm excited to continue the story we started with Batman Begins," added Nolan. "Our challenge in casting The Joker was to find an actor who is not just extraordinarily talented but fearless. Watching Heath Ledger's interpretation of this iconic character taking on Christian Bale's Batman is going to be incredible."