Jared Leto Was Terrified to Develop The Joker’s Laugh in Suicide Squad

Jared Leto’s version of The Joker has been hyped up considerably, with much of the narrative surrounding Suicide Squad focused on his take. Following up Heath Ledger’s performance – which he won a posthumous Oscar for – in The Dark Knight is a lot of pressure. The biggest thing he had to do, though? Find his version of The Joker’s laugh. From Mark Hamill’s mad cackle to Ledger’s slow, methodical “ha ha ha,” when The Joker laughs, audiences take notice.

“The character is a completely insane madman, with green hair and a great smile,” Leto said to Comicbook.com and other press on the red carpet at the world premiere of the film. When Comicbook.com asked the actor about his take on the signature laugh, he said it was a challenge.

“You know, when I got asked to play The Joker, I don’t really have a big, precarious laugh personally,” Leto told us. “So I was a bit terrified. This is a guy who’s laughing, and laughing in a way that’s very unique. So I worked on it, and worked on it, and came up with something that… is very strange, I admit.”

Leto’s laugh is a mix between the two aforementioned ones – both maniacal and methodical, both measured and unbridled. You can hear it for yourself (outside of the little teases in the trailers) in Suicide Squad on Friday, August 5, 2016.