All 9 Live-Action Joker Actors, Ranked

If Batman is out and about fighting crime, the Joker can't be far behind. First debuting in this superhero's comic escapades in April 1940, Batman's archnemesis has proven to be not just one of his most resilient foes, but also one of the most famous characters in all of pop culture. This clown, who commits towering crimes and wields a bleak vision of humanity, continues to fascinate people all over the world. If Batman captivates the imagination for being a figure of good people can look to, Joker rivets people for epitomized chaotic evil to such a pronounced degree.

Given Batman's enduring popularity in non-comic media and the fact that the Joker has existed for nearly a century, it was inevitable that this villain would eventually cross over into live-action storytelling. Over the years, nine different performers have portrayed the Joker in movies and television shows. Sometimes, those appearances have been fleeting cameos in CW programs; while other times, they've been massive roles in the biggest blockbuster movies of all time. However the Joker materializes, these nine actors showcase the wide array of directions that artists can take this character in. Let's all have a good laugh and rank the nine live-action Joker performers from worst to best.

This list excludes Roger Stoneburner's brief appearance as the Joker in the 2002 WB show "Birds of Prey," since it was voiced by Mark Hamill and that would give it an unfair advantage versus the other Jokers on this list.

The CW's "Batwoman" was a TV show about people like Kate Kane (Ruby Rose) and Ryan Wilder (Javicia Leslie) figuring out how to fight crime and carve out their own superhero identities after Batman vanishes. This meant both versions of the show's titular lead was constantly running into Batman's former foes, including trinkets associated with characters like Killer Croc and Poison Ivy. Eventually, the third season even brought in Joker by way of Ryan's half-brother Marquis (Nick Creegan), who became a new villain carrying on the Joker legacy. His story, though, dates back decades earlier when his school bus was hijacked by the Clown Prince of Crime.

The Joker's appearance in this show (where he was played by Nathan Dashwood) is limited to just a handful of shots where his entire body is obscured from the viewer. Seeing only pieces of this figure inevitably means that this is the weakest live-action Joker, because there's just nothing to go off of. That's largely intentional, since Joker's fleeting presence is supposed to be a springboard for an original baddie that has a deeply personal connection to Ryan. Plus, the entire "Batwoman" show is about what comes after Batman, rather than rehashing that crimefighter's exact story.

While Joker being limited to just fragments makes thematic sense for "Batwoman," it also means, for this list, this is the worst live-action Joker by default. There's nothing to compliment or criticize with Nathan Dashwood's intentionally vague incarnation of the character.

Why did Jared Leto have to use that voice as his Joker in "Suicide Squad?" Of all the problems with his incarnation of this comic book foe, his irritating, Jim Carrey-esque voice is the biggest problem with his performance. Leto always sounds like he's doing an Ace Ventura impression when he's supposedly being intimidating. This immediately undercuts the character's impact, along with the strange physical and vocal flourishes Leto kept injecting into the part. Everything about Leto's Joker registered as tryhard, rather than boldly creative or even surface-level entertaining.

The character's costume wasn't especially memorable either, with "edgy" details incorporated into this Joker's appearance (like the grill on his teeth or the "damaged" forehead tattoo) coming off as shallow distractions from how little personality or charisma he had. Granted, there was no way even the greatest costume ever captured on camera could register as impressive given how bad Leto's predictably "kooky" performance was. While other Jokers were either entertaining to watch or chillingly chaotic, Leto's "Suicide Squad" turn felt incredibly calculated.

It was a hodgepodge of other Joker performances executed with significantly less life than Jack Nicholson or Heath Ledger. Leto's Joker return for "Zack Snyder's Justice League" ditched the tattoos, but was otherwise the same lethargic performance as before. The only good element about Leto's Joker is it at least inspired Kane Distler's superior Mr. J from "The People's Joker."

One of the best streaming shows of 2025 came both from Canada and totally out of nowhere. That program was "Heated Rivalry," a hockey romance that captured the world's attention with its great performances and steamy displays of intimacy. One of the two anchors of this show was Connor Storrie, who only had a smattering of acting credits before "Heated Rivalry" came his way. One of those performances was playing an unnamed Arkham inmate in "Joker: Folie à Deux," who is seen fleetingly throughout the film before eventually killing Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur Fleck in the movie's final scene.

This slaughter involves the unnamed inmate slicing a smile into his face, a suggestion that this character will eventually become the actual Joker that Batman fights. Conceptually, it's an interesting idea to upend viewer expectations (specifically folks who saw 2019's "Joker" as an origin story for the titular villain) by revealing Fleck was actually just a random guy with deep psychological problems. Like so much in "Folie à Deux," though, the execution leaves something to be desired. Storrie's character has so little presence before he kills Fleck that it's not really a twist or a surprise when he turns out to be the heir to the Joker title.

Instead, it just feels like another abrupt and undercooked plot point in a movie full of underwhelming narrative elements. Storrie's quasi-Joker also has no personality or presence, a far cry from his richly involving work that made "Heated Rivalry" HBO Max's No. 1 series.

The most interesting aspect of Cameron Monaghan's take on the Joker in "Gotham" was that he got to play two different individuals who embodied Joker-esque characters. This opportunity came through playing the twins Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska. This gave Monaghan both a trait that other live-action Joker incarnations didn't have, and lots of different layers to play throughout his multiple seasons on "Gotham." Jeremiah basically became the Joker in the show's fifth season, having a run-in with a vat of Ace Chemicals materials that further his deranged mental state.

Monaghan gave both of these characters everything he had, but his immense dedication to this role couldn't overcome the fact that he was still appearing in "Gotham." Thus, common writing problems (like clumsy dialogue and ham-fisted attempts to create proto-versions of famous Batman villains) that plagued every season of this show still applied to his roles. On a writing level, Jerome and Jeremiah both suffered from struggling to work as either new incarnations of the Joker or just compelling standalone characters in their own right. They were caught in a limbo space between these ambitions that left each of the twins feeling like half-hearted shadows of prior live-action Jokers.

Monaghan's fantastic acting could only do so much to liven up two characters in a show whose writing and visual impulses always left something to be desired. Those shortcomings inevitably bled over into this unique twin-based interpretation of the Joker's earliest days.

The concept of Barry Keoghan playing the Joker in the Matt Reeves "Batman" media is an intriguing one. Keoghan's already developed a knack for playing terrifying characters in projects like "The Killing of a Sacred Deer," and putting him in clown makeup and plopping him in Gotham City could give this comic book character a new lease on life in motion pictures. His minimal screentime in the final cut of "The Batman," though, doesn't offer viewers much in terms of what will make his Joker different or substantially excellent when compared to past versions of the character.

Establishing this Joker alongside Paul Dano's Riddler is an interesting new dimension for the former. After all, he's been either a solo act or solely interacting with Harvey Dent (Two-Face) in past live-action "Batman" movies. Rubbing shoulders with other Gotham baddies could give Keoghan's Joker something new. However, a deleted scene showing this Joker and Robert Pattinson's Batman chatting offered a better look at this villain's face, which looks to be providing a tiresome, "grounded" explanation for this character's distinctive appearance.

Most frustrating of all, there's still so little to go off with this version of the character beyond Keoghan promising a fresh approach to the Joker if he ever reprises the role.

Believe it or not, Joaquin Phoenix is, to date, the only actor to play the Joker in multiple live-action theatrical films. Across "Joker" and "Joker: Folie à Deux," Phoenix certainly showed a dedication (both in his general acting and his physical transformation) to portraying this unhinged character. Particularly in the first "Joker," Phoenix was quite absorbing in this performance, and there's a barely contained rage and jagged unpredictability to the best parts of his acting. No wonder people were interested in seeing him play this role multiple times on the big screen.

The biggest drawback to Phoenix's Joker performance is that he's portrayed similar characters even better in significantly more consistent movies like "You Were Never Really Here." More pressingly, his Joker can never be detached from "Folie à Deux." Released in October 2024 to dreadful reviews, "Folie à Deux" was a chaotic, profoundly stupid mess that saw Phoenix rehashing the greatest hits of his "Joker" performance to diminished effectiveness. As divisive as the first "Joker" was, if Phoenix's Joker tenure had ended there, he could've held his head high.

Unfortunately, Phoenix's dreadful "Folie à Deux" performance (especially whenever he has to "sing") totally weighs down the legacy of this version of the Joker. If only Phoenix had been a one-and-done actor in this role like every other live-action Joker performer.

Is Jack Nicholson's version of the Joker from 1989's "Batman" more of a vessel for Nicholson's maximalist acting traits than a comic-accurate version of this character? Perhaps. It's hard to complain, though, since the actor is such a riot in this part. Plus, Nicholson's best movie roles have shown that he is adept at portraying off-kilter characters who always keep audiences on their toes. That gift was a perfect fit for both the Joker and Tim Burton's kooky vision of Gotham City. Even when he's dancing around to a Prince tune, Nicholson's Joker reminds audiences of the kind of cinematic madness only he could properly realize.

Nicholson also gives this Joker so many unforgettable line deliveries, including the way he says phrases like "you... are my number one guy" or the iconic "never rub another man's rhubarb!" It's just riveting to watch this villain simply to see how Nicholson will spit out his next line. Meanwhile, the clown makeup used for this version of the character looks sublime on-screen. Beyond just functioning well on a visual approach, the Joker's appearance makes total sense for the first big-budget movie adaptation of Batman. Even this character's various suits look snazzy, but would anyone expect the costume design in a Burton movie to underwhelm?

Even after so many subsequent takes on this character, Nicholson's idiosyncratic Joker turn from "Batman" endures as something special and deliciously entertaining.

The very first live-action incarnation of the Joker came almost 30 years after Batman's comic exploits began in 1939. While it took audiences decades to see a flesh-and-blood version of this character, the wait was well worth it since it led to Cesar Romero's delightful take in the TV show "Batman" from 1966 to 1968. When Looper ranked all 11 of the live-action Batman actors, this program's leading man, Adam West, took home the gold. Similarly, Romero's Clown Prince of Crime from the same show remains a tremendously entertaining take on this eternal foe. He brought so much energy and wit to his performance, which endures as a breath of fresh air compared to other live-action incarnations of the Joker.

While subsequent Jokers have been obsessed with the "we live in a society" vision of this adversary, Romero's Joker was just a ball to be around. His physical acting and line deliveries were always deliciously over-the-top and radiated tremendous commitment. To boot, the default vibrant color scheme of "Batman" ensured that this iteration of Joker strutted around the screen in pleasingly vivid purple and green pieces. His clown makeup was equally well-realized in terms of craftsmanship and vibrancy.

Best of all, Romero bounced off of West's Batman so well. Just watching the duo verbally spar made for exceptional television. The very first live-action Joker also remains one of the greatest versions of Batman's greatest rival.

Who else could have topped this list? Heath Ledger's seminal take on the Joker in "The Dark Knight" is one of those universally acclaimed performances that more than earns every inch of its revered stature. Across every Ledger movie, it's apparent that this actor brought distinctiveness and a unique flair to every role he tackled. He didn't leave anything on the sidelines in his pursuit of artistic greatness. That conviction served Ledger's "Dark Knight" turn well, especially in making sure that he didn't just repeat the acting greatness Nicholson and Romero previously delivered inhabiting this DC Comics staple.

Ledger's Joker instead radiated terrifying prowess even while giving off such a ramshackle vibe. This actor could come off as just a raggedy guy in clown makeup and somebody whose nihilistic machinations could ensnare anyone. Combining those dissonant elements was an ingenious way of reflecting this Joker's madness and making audiences unsure of what he'd do next. Ledger's unique vocal ticks for this character and ability to deliver genuinely funny punchlines (like Joker's blunt "yep" when asked if he thinks he can just intimidate the mob and take their money) only further enhanced the iconic stature of this performance.

Few big screen baddies have been as intimidating as the driving force behind "The Dark Knight." That's a testament to Ledger's incredible work in the role, which has set the permanent gold standard for all possible live-action versions of the Joker.