Tim Curry on Why Mark Hamill Replaced Him as Joker in 'Batman: The Animated Series'
If there was one reason why the 1990 "IT" TV miniseries became such a hit, it was because of Tim Curry's stellar portrayal of the iconic evil clown Pennywise. Fans could have heard him voice Joker in the "Batman: The Animated Series" a few years later, had he not been replaced by Mark Hamill. Recently at a fan expo, Curry explained why he had gotten fired from the series in favor of Hamill.
Since playing Pennywise, Curry has played several other iconic characters in both live-action and animated series. However, a few may remember that in the initial casting of "Batman: The Animated Series," it was confirmed that Curry would lend his voice to the iconic villain Joker. But just when the actor had already finished recording some dialogues for the character, news came out that Hamill was tapped to take his place.
During the celebration of the 20th anniversary of "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm" at the San Diego Comic-Con last July, "Batman: The Animated Series" showrunner Bruce Timm talked about Curry being replaced as the Clown Prince of Crime, which caused the issue to surface yet again after so many years.
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Asked to comment, Curry gave a straightforward answer as to why he was axed from the "Batman: The Animated Series" cast. In an interview with ScreenGeek a few days ago, Curry confirmed that he got swapped out for the role due to an illness. "I did play Joker for a while, but I had bronchitis and they fired me—and hired Mark Hamill. That's life," he said.
Considered today as one of the best "Batman" TV shows ever made, "Batman: The Animated Series" aired from 1992 to 1994 and consisted of a total of 85 episodes. Voice-directed by Andrea Romano, the series also paved the way for actor Kevin Conroy to rise to fame after voicing the lead character Bruce Wayne.
