--- title: Jared Leto Suicide Squad Joker: Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger description: Leto has a few people in mind who he wants to impress with his portrayal of the iconic DC villain. canonical: https://time.com/4130685/jared-leto-joker-suicide-squad-jack-nicholson-heath-ledger/ author: Megan McCluskey article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-12-01T16:52:28.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:27:14.650Z og:title: Jared Leto Hopes Heath Ledger Would Have Been Proud of His Joker og:description: And Jack Nicholson, too og:url: https://time.com/4130685/jared-leto-joker-suicide-squad-jack-nicholson-heath-ledger/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4b70d280d0ff3ae9/698873395f570ff295b1e966/jared-leto.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: 2015 WSJ. Magazine Innovator Awards og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Jared Leto Hopes Heath Ledger Would Have Been Proud of His Joker twitter:description: And Jack Nicholson, too twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4b70d280d0ff3ae9/698873395f570ff295b1e966/jared-leto.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Jared Leto Hopes Heath Ledger Would Have Been Proud of His Joker > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. 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Grant Lamos IV—Getty Images  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Dec 1, 2015 4:52 PM UTC Jared Leto will take his place among the ranks of actors who have played [The Joker](http://time.com/3835534/jared-leto-joker-suicide-squad/) when _Suicide Squad_ hits theaters next August, and the star has a few people in mind who he wants to impress with his portrayal of the iconic DC villain. Leto posted a meme on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/jaredleto/) on Monday that features two previous Joker actors, [Jack Nicholson](http://time.com/3837362/jack-nicholson-joker-suicide-squad-jared-leto/) and Heath Ledger, superimposed with the words, “Don’t worry Leto will makes us proud.” Nicholson and Ledger brought the crazed super-villain to life in 1989’s _Batman_ and 2008’s _The Dark Knight_, respectively, and the Oscar-winning Leto is the latest to take on the role. He recently told [Empire](http://www.empireonline.com) how intensely he threw himself into the work. “There was definitely a period of…detachment. I took a pretty deep dive,” [he told the magazine](http://www.ew.com/article/2015/10/26/jared-leto-joker-suicide-squad). “But this was a unique opportunity and I couldn’t imagine doing it another way. 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