In an interview with Empire, Tim Burton disclosed that he could hardly understand the words coming out of Nicholson’s mouth on the set of the 1989 DC film Batman, in which the 85-year-old actor played the psychotic villain, the Joker. Regardless of the communication difficulties, Burton was quick to praise Nicholson for the support he gave him, since Burton was rather green in the film industry at that point in time. The comic book film went on to become a box-office success as both critics and audiences praised Nicholson’s performance and Burton’s direction. The film earned a little over $400 million with Nicholson earning a percentage of the box office gross, which many estimate is around $60 million to $90 million. Jack’s co-star, Michael Keaton, also approved of the quality and aura Nicholson brought to the set, saying: Since then, Burton has gone on to direct several more highly acclaimed films and TV shows, the most recent being Netflix’s popular coming-of-age supernatural comedy horror series, Wednesday.
