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Among the many formidable actors who have tackled playing the Joker, DC Comics’ most recognizable villain, fans often hold up two names as the live-action gold standard. Depending on who you ask, the standard favorites are Jack Nicholson in Tim Burton‘s Batman or Heath Ledger‘s Academy Award-winning turn in Christopher Nolan‘s The Dark Knight. When it comes to animated interpretations, however, there’s little debate; Mark Hamill‘s delightfully bloodthirsty and maniacally kinetic take on the Clown Prince of Crime secured his legacy the instant he debuted in Batman: The Animated Series‘ second episode. As of 2024, Hamill has retired from the role after playing the character for over 30 years and across different voice-over mediums, be it spin-offs within the DC Animated Universe or the Batman: Arkham video game series. But in 2002, Hamill appeared in a short-lived, live-action television drama loosely based on the same comic book team that inspired lead actress Margot Robbie‘s 2020 DCEU film, Birds of Prey. Also named Birds of Prey, the series’ fall from grace was so swift and definitive that even this stand-out contribution to Hamill’s Joker repertoire has been largely forgotten.
What Is the ‘Birds of Prey’ TV Series About?
Developed by screenwriter and executive producer Laeta Kalogridis, The WB’s Birds of Prey follows three young women as they defend New Gotham against its enemies after Batman inexplicably abandons his beloved city. Stepping up in the Caped Crusader’s absence are Barbara Gordon/Oracle (Dina Meyer), the former Batgirl and the daughter of Police Commissioner James Gordon; Helena Kyle/Huntress (A shley Scott), Batman and Catwoman’s daughter and a metahuman born with supernatural abilities; and Dinah Redmond/Black Canary (Rachel Skarsten), another metahuman. A vengeance-seeking — and Joker-less — Harley Quinn (Mia Sara) serves as the trio’s primary antagonist.
Mark Hamill’s Live-Action Joker Appearance Is Brief but Impactful
Hamill cameos in Birds of Prey‘s pilot episode, specifically during a flashback explaining Barbara’s spinal cord injury and her subsequent transition from Batgirl, a street-level superheroine, to Oracle, who watches over New Gotham from her office in the Gotham Clocktower. Years before Birds of Prey‘s present-day timeline, Batman destroys the Joker’s criminal empire. The Joker retaliates by attacking Barbara, unaware of Batman’s alter ego but having deduced her identity as his protégé. The 30-second flashback takes its cues from writer Alan Moore’s one-shot comic The Killing Joke: the Joker knocks at Barbara’s front door, shoots her, and taunts her with some choice words before leaving her for dead (but not before letting loose his magnificently morbid cackle).
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Even though Birds of Prey marks Hamill’s foray from animated to live-action Joker, technically, he still only provides the character’s trademark sound; actor and stunt performer Roger Stoneburner is behind the Joker’s striking onscreen visage. Hamill dubbed Stoneburner’s lines in post-production and received sole official billing, with Stoneburner’s physical work going uncredited. In 2016, Hamill took to X and called this oversight an “unfair” and “non-so fun fact.”
‘Birds of Prey’ Was Ahead of Its Time
A decade before the Arrow-verse took over TV, The WB hoped that Birds of Prey would capitalize on Smallville’s resounding success. Birds of Prey‘s premiere drew the network’s largest ratings at the time, but rapidly declining numbers sealed its 13-episode fate. Although weakened by tonal and scriptwriting inconsistencies, the series remains entertaining, ambitious, and undeserving of its obscure status. If The WB had given Birds of Prey enough time to shake off its growing pains, it could have shattered a few glass ceilings where representation is concerned; the show’s woman-centric cast both predates and outshines more high-profile efforts.
As for Hamill, in late 2023, the actor shared with Empire Magazine that he had no interest in reprising his second-most iconic performance without Kevin Conroy, the late and very great man behind Batman: The Animated Series‘s titular hero. The two vocal titans frequently collaborated after The Animated Series concluded in 1995, with Conroy’s involvement often being the sole inducement Hamill needed to join a project. In light of their close partnership, perhaps it’s fitting that Hamill’s retirement makes 2024’s animated feature Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Three a joint final bow for him and Conroy. At least Birds of Prey‘s fleeting existence lets Hamill bring his favorite role into a different dimension. In his hands, every sentence is something to treasure.
Birds of Prey
- Release Date
- October 9, 2002
- Cast
- Ashley Scott , Dina Meyer , Jonathan Fraser , Sherilyn Fenn , Annie Wersching , Michael Don Evans , Donovan Leitch , Kristofer McNeeley , Rachel Skarsten , shemar moore , ian abercrombie , Mia Sara , Lise Simms , Shane Johnson , Lori Loughlin , Neil Hopkins , Patrick Fischler , Sung-Hi Lee , Kristoffer Polaha , Chris Ellis , Nelson Ascencio , Brody Hutzler , Joe Flanigan , Bob Papenbrook , Sarah Joy Brown
- Seasons
- 1
- Creator(s)
- Laeta Kalogridis
- Network
- The WB
- Streaming Service(s)
- Tubi
- Franchise(s)
- D.C. Universe
Birds of Prey is available to stream on Tubi in the U.S.
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