The Batman: Paul Dano Addresses Taking On Riddler Role After Jim Carrey

Paul Dano reveals that he didn’t speak to Jim Carrey before taking the role of the Riddler in The Batman, but affirms he is a fan of the actor. Carrey portrayed the question-mark adorned villain in Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever in 1995. Dano is the latest actor to play the Riddler against Robert Pattinson’s Batman in Matt Reeve’s fresh take on the character.

As a character with a great impact that is approaching 83 years of publication, Batman and his rogues’ gallery have been brought to life many times on film and television. One such example is Schumacher’s first film featuring the character in 1995, in which Val Kilmer’s Dark Knight faced Riddler and Two-Face, portrayed by Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones respectively. A far cry from the darker, gothic Tim Burton-helmed films that came before, Schumacher chose to have a more vivid, brighter take on Gotham that leaned into a light-hearted film, leading to Michael Keaton departing the project after portraying the hero through Burton’s duology. With Batman Forever being the last theatrically released live-action film to feature the Riddler, many may wonder if Dano had spoken to his predecessor about taking the role and now the actor opened up on the subject.

Speaking to ExtraTV at the premiere of The Batman, Dano was asked whether he’d spoken with Carrey before taking on the role. While Dano admitted that he hadn’t, he did affirm that he’d like to speak to the comedy icon at some point. Dano explained that he had not only been a fan of Carrey since elementary school but that he was also a fan of fellow Batman villain actor and Hollywood star Jack Nicholson, stating that he was glad to be part of the character’s legacy alongside them. Check out Dano’s response below.

“I didn’t. In fact, I would love to meet Jim Carrey. When I was in late elementary school and Ace Ventura came out– He’s one of my favorite actors. Actually, Jim Carrey and Jack Nicholson were probably my first two favorite actors when I was a kid. It’s nice to be a part of the Batman lore.”

With Dano’s Riddler described as a scary character by Reeves, it is evident that his approach is far-removed from Carrey’s. With Carrey being well-known for his comedic roles at the time, his approach to Edward Nigma was a wise-cracking, hyperactive villain that fits into Schumacher and Warner Bros. lighter, more family-friendly tone for the film, despite infamously annoying co-star Lee Jones during production. Dano’s take on the other hand has been likened to real-world criminals and killers by the cast and director, with Reeves explicitly comparing the character to the Zodiac Killer. Dano had also revealed that portraying the character as he did in the film took a toll on him, revealing that playing the character made sleep difficult for him due to how intense some scenes were.

While it would have been interesting to learn what Carrey may have told Dano about playing the character, it is perhaps for the best that the actor didn’t speak to his predecessor. Dano’s Riddler has been described as different from what had come before, and perhaps the actor going into the role without speaking to Carrey might have allowed him to better solidify his own unique approach in The Batman. Despite this, fans may be interested to hear both actors come together to discuss portraying the character, allowing Dano to finally meet one of his favorite childhood actors.

Source: Extra TV

About The Author