Six actors have played the Joker in live-action film and television: Cesar Romero, Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, Jared Leto, Joaquin Phoenix, and Barry Keoghan. Cameron Monaghan played a Joker-inspired character across five seasons of Gotham, and Mark Hamill is widely regarded as the definitive voice of the character in animation and video games.
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Who played the Joker in live-action movies and TV?
- Cesar Romero played the Joker in the 1966 to 1968 Batman television series starring Adam West. He famously refused to shave his mustache and simply painted white makeup over it.
- Jack Nicholson played the Joker in Tim Burton's Batman (1989), a performance built on comic menace and dark comedy.
- Heath Ledger played the Joker in The Dark Knight (2008), a role that won him a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
- Jared Leto played the Joker in Suicide Squad (2016) and returned in Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021).
- Joaquin Phoenix played Arthur Fleck in Joker (2019) and Joker: Folie à Deux (2024). He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the first film.
- Barry Keoghan appeared as a version of the Joker in a deleted scene from The Batman (2022), later released online.
Who played the Joker on television?
Cesar Romero was the first live-action TV Joker, and Cameron Monaghan followed with twin brother characters Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska on Fox's Gotham. Monaghan's role was written as an origin story rather than a straight adaptation, so the show never used the Joker name outright.
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Who voiced the Joker in cartoons and games?
Mark Hamill voiced the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Batman: Arkham video games, and multiple animated films, making him the most prolific Joker actor by total appearances. Troy Baker voiced the character in Batman: Arkham Origins (2013), Alan Tudyk voiced him in the Harley Quinn animated series, and Zach Galifianakis voiced him in The LEGO Batman Movie (2017).
How many actors have played the Joker?
More than 20 performers have played the Joker across film, television, animation, video games, and radio dramas. The exact count depends on whether you include minor cameos, parody appearances, and unreleased scenes.
Which Joker actors won an Oscar?
Heath Ledger won Best Supporting Actor in 2009 for The Dark Knight, and Joaquin Phoenix won Best Actor in 2020 for Joker. They are the only two performers to win Academy Awards for playing a comic book villain.
Who is playing the Joker next?
No new live-action Joker has been confirmed for the rebooted DC Universe. Joaquin Phoenix's Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) closed out that standalone storyline, and Barry Keoghan's version from The Batman remains unconfirmed for future installments.