Heath Ledger’s “chilling” Joker transformation “absolutely floored” Michael Caine: “I was terrified”

nme.com:

Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight left co-star Sir Michael Caine “terrified”, according to the latter’s memoir.Ledger would play the iconic Batman villain in Christopher Nolan’s 2008 blockbuster, redefining the role in a performance that would win an Oscar.

The actor died in January 2008, four months before the release of the film, after overdosing on prescription drugs. He was 28 years old.Caine, who played Bruce Wayne’s butler Alfred in the movie, recalled working with him in his book Don’t Look Back, You’ll Trip Over: My Guide to Life.“The smeared makeup, the weird hair, the strange voice.

It was chilling,” he wrote. “Absolutely floored me the first time I saw him in action – I was terrified”. He said the performance inspired others on set to “raise our game”.

Looking back, Caine lamented the untimely death of Ledger and recalled what might have been. “Heath was only 28 when he passed away.