Heath Ledger’s Joker was inspired by a painting by Francis Bacon

There have been many actors who have put on makeup and outfits to play Gotham’s psychopathic clown, but none have achieved the level of impact that Heath Ledger had during his short appearance in the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy. Until then known for his participation in romantic comedies, Ledger made a 180-degree turn in his career already with ‘Brokeback Mountain’, culminating in ‘The Dark Knight’ with his unforgettable role as Joker. Where did the inspiration for the character come from? Nolan surprised fans in an exhibition at the British National Gallery of Art by revealing that the work of Francis Bacon was the main influence.

The surprising inspiration for Heath Ledger’s Joker

According to the director, as a teenager, on a trip to “I spotted a poster for a Bacon retrospective, which featured a face from one of his triptychs. The pale, streaked features grabbed me and never let go, gracing various walls in different flats until it was a tattered mess.”

“Years later I showed the image to Heath Ledger while he was preparing to play the Joker in The Dark Knight, and he instantly sparked to its tortured and torturing humanity. It informed the makeup for the character in the most tactile of ways,” said the director.

Ledger would end up dying at the young age of 29 due to the intake of various drugs with which he initially treated his insomnia, since the circumstances of his death would be a source of controversy for the following months. However, the Australian actor left us with what remains his most memorable performance in the role of the Joker.

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