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Backstage - John DiMaggio Interview
John DiMaggio Undertakes a Villainous Icon as The Joker in
Batman: Under the Red Hood Known to adults as “Bender” in Futurama
and tweens as “Dr. Drakken” in Kim Possible, John DiMaggio takes an
iconic step forward as the voice of The Joker, the pivotal villain in the
all-new DC Universe animated original movie, Batman: Under the Red Hood.
In the film, Batman faces his ultimate challenge as the mysterious Red Hood
takes Gotham City by firestorm. One part vigilante, one part criminal kingpin,
Red Hood begins cleaning up Gotham with the efficiency of Batman, but without
following the same ethical code. And when The Joker falls in the balance between
the two forces of justice, hard truths are revealed and old wounds are reopened.
DiMaggio gets free reign to play the iconic villain amidst a stellar
voice cast that includes Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek) as the Caped
Crusader, Supernatural star Jensen Ackles as Red Hood, and Neil Patrick
Harris (How I Met Your Mother) as Nightwing.
Best known for his
near-100 episodes as “Bender,” DiMaggio has parlayed his deep, gravelly tones
and versatile acting style into a major force on the voiceover scene for the
past decade. DiMaggio’s credits include roles in Kim Possible, Samurai
Jack, Teen Titans, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, The
Spectacular Spider-Man, Duck Dodgers, Jackie Chan Adventures,
The Penguins of Madagascar and Chowder.
Voiceover has so
dominated his time that DiMaggio has virtually abandoned his on-camera career –
despite past work as a regular cast member on Chicago Hope and a number
of guest roles in TV series such as Becker, N.Y.P.D. Blue,
Felicity, Bones, Without a Trace and My Name is Earl.
Batman: Under the Red Hood is the next entry in the popular ongoing
series of DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movies from Warner Premiere, DC
Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation. The full-length film will be
distributed by Warner Home Video on July 27, 2010 as a Special Edition version
on Blu-Ray™ and 2-disc DVD, as well as being available on single disc DVD, On
Demand and for Download.
But before you race to Amazon to pre-order your
copy, take a minute to get to know John DiMaggio.
QUESTION: What were
your initial thoughts about assuming this iconic role?
JOHN DIMAGGIO: I was shocked when I got the role,
shocked when I came in to record, and shocked when I saw the finished product
during ADR. I just wanted to honor the real true lunacy of the character. I
didn’t want to make him campy, but I wanted to pay a little bit of tribute to
the past Jokers – and yet keep it original at the same time. That’s walking a
fine line, if there ever was one.
It was a little intimidating because it
is such an iconic role. It’s an honor to get this job -- and especially to play
the Joker in this version because it’s so dark and twisted. I felt like I got a
really wonderful opportunity.
QUESTION: Can you remember your early
connections with the Batman mythology, and how any of the previous Joker actors
might have influenced your performance in this role?
JOHN DIMAGGIO: I
think the thing that influenced me the most when I was young is the television
show, which is really sad because there have been so many great comics and
graphic novels and stories about the Dark Knight that I haven’t been able to
delve into yet – and yet I know about them. I actually would’ve loved to see
Cesar Romero take the role to its darkness. There was a bit of Cesar Romero in
what I did, but it’s Cesar Romero if he was in A Clockwork Orange.
I guess my naiveté in my approach kind of kept it clean. I wasn’t trying to
do a Jack (Nicholson) or a Heath (Ledger). I respect all the folks that have
come before me, and their take on the character. Mark Hamill is awesome, Heath
Ledger was unbelievable, and Jack Nicholson – what can you say? But I wanted to
do my own thing.
QUESTION: Was there any particular direction you
wanted to take this Joker?
JOHN DIMAGGIO: I wanted to cover what I
saw on the paper, and I wanted to ensure Andrea (Romano, casting/dialogue
director) got exactly what she wanted. Usually if the script is good enough, you
know where your emotions should be, where your character lies. It should all be
in the dialogue, and it certainly was.
QUESTION: How do you interpret
the Joker’s mindset?
JOHN DIMAGGIO: I think the Joker thinks of
himself, quite literally, as a necessary evil. And when I say that, I mean he
really feels there is a place for him, and that he somehow balances the chaos
with the non-chaos. It’s a yin and yang thing. And it’s really not personal,
it’s business. Although he can get personal and he enjoys it. That makes it that
much more twisted.
QUESTION: You’ve certainly done more than your
share of villains. Do you prefer to go to the dark side?
JOHN
DIMAGGIO: I love playing the villains. I’ll play anything, I don’t care. As
long as its not tons of walla or gasping, I’m good. I hate the inhale.
QUESTION: When you were a kid, did you ever imagine you’d be voicing cartoons
for a living?
JOHN DIMAGGIO: I was a class clown – I basically
started acting when I was a kid. I wanted to play drums, but I couldn’t afford a
drum set. It was easier to be in a play, so it just kind of happened. I walked
into voiceover in New York in 1994. I was doing stand-up (comedy) at the time,
and was looking to get out of it and into acting. An actor buddy of mine, Zak
Orth, said it was a way to make a good living between acting gigs. I moved to
LA, because there’s more animation here, and the rest is history. So yeah,
thanks Zak – give me a ring.
QUESTION: Your primary focus is
voiceovers these days. Do you have any inclination to do more live-action acting
or stand-up comedy?
JOHN DIMAGGIO: On-camera acting is fun, but I
don’t miss it. Voiceovers are quicker, and you get to work with such amazing,
talented people – it’s a blast to play in the studio with these actors and
writers and directors. With (on-camera) acting, there so much more waiting
around, and my patience has run thin. Plus it beats the hell out of slinging
jokes six nights a week at a Chuckle Hut in East Bumbleblard.
Suggested captions for attached images:
John DiMaggio-2.jpg
John DiMaggio is the voice of The Joker in Batman: Under the Red Hood,
the next DC Universe animated original movie. The film will be distributed July
27, 2010 by Warner Home Video. (Photo courtesy of Gary Miereanu)
Joker_01.jpg The Joker is the pivotal villain in Batman: Under the
Red Hood, the next DC Universe animated original movie. The film will be
distributed July 27, 2010 by Warner Home Video.
Bat_Clench_Joker.jpg The Joker pushes Batman to the brink of
unrestrained violence in Batman: Under the Red Hood, the next DC Universe
animated original movie. The film will be distributed July 27, 2010 by Warner
Home Video.
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