Troy Baker Does the Joker’s Killing Joke Monologue at NYCC
Nolan who? Troy Baker is the new video game voice acting hotness right now, having voiced the lead characters in what I would deem the two best games of the year at present, The Last of Us and BioShock Infinite.
Now, he’s heading to Arkham where he’ll be voicing the Joker in the “Origins” game. As everyone knows, the role has been Mark Hamill’s in first the show, then the first two Arkham Games, but now Baker is taking over and the above video is the ultimate proof of concept. In it, Baker performs the Joker’s famed “Killing Joke” monologue, and reveals that he’s got Hamill’s Joker down pretty perfectly. It seems a bit weird he’s doing a direct impression of someone else’s Joker rather than inventing his own, but I suppose if they want to maintain continuity with the rest of the series, it makes sense.
Weird how someone voicing Joel and Booker DeWitt can produce this as well. I guess he can do a lot more than “rugged male lead,” and I expect we’ll be hearing a lot more from him from here on out.
[via io9]
He also said that it wasn’t about imitating Hammill, but honoring his legacy during the interviews. I don’t think he sounds exactly like Hammill. Yes, it’s similar but it’s not entirely identical.
I was there when he read this and wow the whole room got the chills and the crowd gave him a standing ovation.
Baker’s interpretation is in the same league as Hammill’s and way better than John DiMaggio’s Joker in Under the Red Hood.
Minor note here – this hardly merits being called “the” famous monologue from TKJ. That honor probably goes to the one he makes near the end right before Batman catches up with him. Look up Pgirts on YouTube, he did an astonishing Hamill impression read of it and added in Batman music too.