Legendary actor Tim Curry has revealed the reason he was replaced in Batman: The Animated Series. The actor, who was cast to play the Joker, has spoken about his replacement in the series by Mark Hamill. Mark Hamill would go on to become the most celebrated rendition of Gotham's Clown Prince of Crime, often voted as the greatest Joker performer ever. However, Tim Curry could have easily taken this mantle, embodying many of the traits necessary for the perfect Joker.
The star of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and IT, Tim Curry achieved cult icon status with a series of roles for which he was perfectly cast. Curry enjoyed success as both an actor and a voiceover artist but unfortunately did not appear as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series. As Curry has sadly ceased live-action roles, (now focusing primarily on voice work) and following Hamill's departure from the role, there is a possibility that Tim Curry could return as the perfect Joker.
Why Tim Curry Left Batman: The Animated Series
Tim Curry had already begun recording for Batman: The Animated Series when he was replaced. After voicing the Joker for at least 4 episodes, Curry suffered a bout of bronchitis that rendered him unable to perform. During his recovery, the studio replaced him with Mark Hamill. While Curry implies that studio impatience was the motivating factor, Warner Bros. has claimed they were simply dissatisfied with Curry's rendition. Curry would return to Batman: The Animated Series, however, with a string of minor, uncredited roles. Curry voiced, an unnamed henchman in season 1, episode 24, "Fear of Victory," and as Joker's Robot Clown in season 1, episode 11, "Be A Clown..."
Tim Curry Feels Like The Perfect Joker
Tim Curry was well known by the time of the Batman: The Animated Series debut. Notable roles by this point included Pennywise, the killer clown from IT (which aired 2 years prior in 1990). Casting Curry as the Joker brings with him the associations of the morbidly comic, murderous clown. While children may not have noticed this, it certainly would resonate with adult viewership, particularly considering the continuing legacy of Batman The Animated Series. Another movie that demonstrates Curry as the perfect Joker is Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. During one particularly memorable scene, Curry's famous smile is cross-faded with the Grinch's evil grin, highlighting Curry's cartoonish, evil inflection.
Curry's smile would obviously not appear in Batman: The Animated Series, but again, casting Curry would bring the association of it, creating a visual and mental performance as the Batman: The Animated Series villain. Tim Curry is renowned for his sleazy, sickly smile, but is also known for his trademark laugh, which is almost as iconic as the Joker's. Curry's previous roles as a series of sinister characters would certainly have prepared him for the role of super-villain, but his natural qualities, his smile, his laugh, and his tone of voice, each make him perfect casting for the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series.