Every so often, you hear a fun story about Batman coming to life, like a millionaire who dresses up to visit sick kids in hospitals. But have we ever considered who could be the real-life Joker? Enter: Tommy Wiseau, famed “director” of The Room, who just proved he may be the Joker IRL in an uncanny “audition video.”
Honestly, when you think about it, it’s not hard to think that Tommy Wiseau may actually the Joker, for real.
On Monday, Nerdist released a video of Tommy Wiseau cosplaying as the Joker — more specifically, Heath Ledger’s Joker from The Dark Knight. Wiseau recites Ledger’s most famous lines, as well as bits from other Jokers like Jack Nicholson, Mark Hamill, and um, Tom Cruise from Jerry Maguire.
At 1:38, Wiseau’s best friend and filmmaking partner, Greg Sestero — who starred in The Room and authored the book, The Disaster Artist — steps in as “Batman.” Somewhat unsurprisingly, Sestero delivers a not-terrible impression of Christian Bale, although who doesn’t these days?
Now, sure, it’s a fun and cute video. But consider Tommy Wiseau for a second. Like the Joker, we don’t know Tommy’s true origin. Based on The Disaster Artist, he terrorizes his co-stars, though he’s never gifted anyone dead rats and condoms (that we know of). Lastly, like the Joker, Wiseau is kind of a funny guy, who manages to be funny while lacking formal knowledge regarding comedic timing, punchlines, or even self-awareness.
But maybe being Wiseau is better than being the Joker. The real behind-the-senes story of Wiseau’s film The Room, about an American banker named Johnny who discovers his fiance is cheating on him with his best friend Mark, was adapted into the 2018 comedy The Disaster Artist, based on the memoir written by Sestero. Though it’s regarded as the worst movie of all time, The Room continues to sell out midnight screenings and The Disaster Artist brought Wiseau onstage at this year’s Golden Globes. Who’s laughing now?
The Disaster Artist hits Blu-ray and DVD on March 13.
