Yup. I'm with you on this. And to repeat myself about the above quote, if having had it be part of one's childhood is the reason to play it, then we all should have roles in Batman movies.
Yes, girl, and
I get to be Catwoman! I'll scratch out the eyes of any bitches who dare to compete with me for that! I'll make Sean Young look like a new-born kitten in my pursuit of the role!
But seriously, what is it with "Batman" actors feeling like they own their roles and that they are entitled to them for life? Laurence Olivier may have done a bang-up version of Hamlet, but that doesn't mean other actors shouldn't take on the role.
I'm thinking Adam West expressed displeasure that he wasn't somehow included in Tim Burton's first "Batman" movie. I mean, come on! The "Batman" series was campy, over-the-top, comedic, and the movies have taken different tones. Even the upcoming version of the Joker is reportedly very different from Nicholson's version. When you're doing something wildly different than what was previously done, why are you going to actively associate it with what came before?
Whatever Jack was referring to -- the role of the Joker, illicit drugs, sleeping pills -- his response to Heath's death comes across as smug and self-absorbed and disrespectful to me. "I warned him" doesn't seem too far removed from "I told you so." I hate it when people say "I told you so."
I guess that's Jack. I've never been able to see his appeal beyond his being a good actor. I don't find him charismatic like many seem to do. He's kinda creepy to me.
I saw that Lindsay Lohan busted into tears when she found out about Heath dying. I never thought I'd see the day when I respected her more than I did Jack Nicholson.