If anyone ever makes live-action films of either The Dark Knight Returns or Kingdom Come, there is only one obvious choice for a fifty or sixty-something Joker... former Cheers star and noted character actor Roger Rees. Last seen on the big screen in The Prestige (where his vague resemblance to an aged Hugh Jackman provided a red herring for a time travel plot that never surfaced), the vastly unappreciated thespian has always been a happy bonus for any film that was smart enough to hire him. His rich turn as the diabolical Augustus Steranko helped turn What Looks Could Kill from a forgettable teen spy spoof (Richard Greco is mistaken for a spy on a class trip to France) into one of the best James Bond-type films of the last thirty-years. It's funnier than either of the Austin Powers sequels, it's more exciting than any of the 80s Roger Moore entries, and it's better than any Brosnan chapter outside of Goldeneye (casting Linda Hunt as a whip-wielding psycho enforcer didn't hurt either).So yes, this man has the looks, the talent, and the personality to do justice to the Clown Prince of Crime in his twilight years. Besides, he doesn't work enough and the publicity might just get If Looks Could Kill onto DVD at long last. It's an easy call.
Scott Mendelson
1 comment:
Finally, somebody who agrees with me that Roger is one of the most talented and underrated and underutilized actors around. I just saw his one man show "What you Will" at LSU a couple of months ago, and he is and was fantastic. More Roger!!!
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