Comic Book Resources had the chance to speak with actor Cameron Monaghan who played the haunting character of Jerome on Gotham who may or may not be The Joker on the series, where they talk about Monaghan’s inspiration for the role, what he took from the character, how he worked on the laugh and if he’ll be back on Gotham.
Here are the highlights of the interview to read the full interview he over to CBR.com.
CBR News: How much inspiration did you draw from the comic books and past incarnations of the Joker for your turn as Jerome?
Cameron Monaghan: I turned pretty much exclusively to the comics. Basically, I got the role right before everyone went on winter break for two or three weeks, right before Christmastime. I was very thankful to have that time, because I got to really educate myself on the character. I read pretty much every comic I could get ahold of. There were the obvious ones, like “The Dark Knight Returns” or “The Killing Joke,” and some older ones like “The Laughing Fish.” I looked at pretty much every writer you can think of, from Grant Morrison to Brian Azzarello. I was trying to understand how the Joker is portrayed throughout the media.
What was your take on the character, then?
I very much adore the sadistic nature of him. There’s his ability to remain cool and calm and cunning. He enjoys making other people squirm, which I think is fascinating. He enjoys pressing buttons a little bit. I only had that one scene to really show off, so I wanted to take advantage of it as much as I could. I was playing with the character’s intelligence a little bit there. I was lucky to get that scene where we get the turn, where we get that last punch line, where it’s revealed he’s been scheming all along. That moment is great. Like any actor, I was relying on the script to carry me, and I think it works.
How much practice did that Joker laugh require?
I’m surprised my neighbors didn’t call the cops on me because I spent those weeks constantly laughing and staring at myself in the mirror. Even if I was driving in my car to get food or something, I was repeating the monologue. I allowed myself to be a crazy person.
Did the Gotham producers indicate Jerome would be back? Has that door been left open?
When I was on set, we discussed the possibly of me coming back in the second or third season. Nothing is set in stone yet. I think the producers have a firm plan for what they want to do, but I was not privy to it while I was filming. I would love to come back and do some more.
Source: Comicbookresources.com
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