What is a hero without his adversary? For Batman, this rings truer than any other superhero. Ever since the caped crusader made his first appearance on the big screen, he has been joined by the Joker.
Every new iteration of the Batman movie generates millions of questions about who’d carry the mantle of the black cape. At the same time, there’s plenty of curiosity over who’d be the Clown Prince of Crime. The brilliant work of Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix has given Joker a whole new persona to newer fans, but it was Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of the character in 1989 opposite Michael Keaton that truly showed the light for his successors to shine in Gotham.
However, the streets of Gotham aren’t the only streets to witness Nicholson’s rampage.
What Led to Jack Nicholson Paying $500,000 in Out-Of-Court Settlement to a Civilian
Jack Nicholson has delivered a number of iconic performances, including R.P. McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – for which he also won his first of three Oscar awards.
Not many actors in Hollywood’s history can hold a candle to the As Good as It Gets star. Similarly, not many superstars can claim to have lived a more drama-filled life than that of Nicholson’s.
In 1989, he made headlines (for good reasons) for portraying a deformed madman, who took control of Gotham’s criminal underworld. Around five years later, the acclaimed actor attracted plenty of camera flashes for losing control and giving an innocent driver named Robert Scott Bank a taste of what Gotham’s citizens endured because of Joker, by smashing up his Mercedes with a golf club.
According to Los Angeles Times, Nicholson lost his cool because he believed the driver cut him off in traffic. The report said the actor was “charged Monday with misdemeanor vandalism and assault for allegedly smashing the windshield of a car.”
However, the case against the superstar was dropped after he reportedly reached an out-of-court settlement – believed to be in the region of $500,000 – with the civilian.
What Batman’s Joker Jack Nicholson Wished He Had Known at 18
Nicholson has experienced career highs like no other and has also been known as a womanizer thanks to his charismatic personality. However, he has also been through some very controversial moments, with the rampaging encounter involving Bank’s car being far from the only incident where his anger got the better of him.
In fact, in an interview with The Sun, he admitted to wishing he knew how to control his temper when he was young. He said:
“Anger has always been a problem and every once in a while I just have to let it out. I always regret it later. After a couple of hours, I calm down and think: ‘What way could I have solved that problem other than blowing up?'”
Nicholson added that if he learned how to control his temper long ago, it would have made his life easier, with less apologizing.
Source: Looper, The Sun, and Los Angeles Times
