With the success of “The Disaster Artist,” Tommy Wiseau and “The Room” have returned to the spotlight, and the infamous actor and director wants to continue that hot streak by becoming the next actor to play The Joker in the upcoming origin movie about Batman’s most famous nemesis.
Wiseau announced his interest on Twitter last week when reports surfaced that director Todd Phillips was in talks with Joaquin Phoenix to play the Clown Prince of Crime. After Wiseau simply told Phillips to “DM me,” one fan of “The Room” sent in a painting depicting Wiseau as The Joker, with his long raggedy hair turned green and his face sporting Heath Ledger’s famous scars from “The Dark Knight.”
Even if Wiseau doesn’t join Jack Nicholson and Jared Leto in playing the villain, the last few months have been pretty good for him. James Franco’s portrayal of him in “The Disaster Artist” led to renewed interest in “The Room” and to Wiseau’s film scoring a theatrical release 15 years after it premiered. Wiseau also appeared on stage at the Golden Globes after Franco won the Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for “The Disaster Artist.”
Wiseau will also be seen on the big screen later this year in “Best F(r)iends,” a film written by and co-starring his “Room” co-star Greg Sestero and based in part on their turbulent, two-decade friendship. Sestero wrote the film with Wiseau in mind, telling TheWrap in an interview last December that he wants to show the world that Wiseau can truly act.
“I’ve seen him and I know he can deliver something that can be captivating if it’s just handled properly,” Sestero said. “So I decided to make a movie with a part that he can really dive into and take seriously and try to really make him act. I didn’t think he would do it, but one day he just texted me out of the blue and said that we should just take a risk and try it.”
13 Golden Globes Snubs and Surprises, From Sam Rockwell to Tommy Wiseau (Photos)
Here's who the HFPA embraced -- and skipped -- during the 75th Golden Globes on Jan. 7.
Surprise: Sam Rockwell, Best Supporting Actor for "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"
Rockwell winning for his role in Martin McDonagh's drama is a clear upset over other nominees Willem Dafoe, Christopher Plummer and Armie Hammer.
Fox Searchlight
Snub: Willem Dafoe, Best Supporting Actor for "The Florida Project"
Dafoe was a clear frontrunner for his role in "The Florida Project," and Armie Hammer and Christopher Plummer were considered strong contenders too, but Sam Rockwell managed to upset them all.
A24
Surprise: Rachel Brosnahan, Best Actress in a TV Series Musical or Comedy for "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"
Pamela Adlon and Issa Rae were snubbed in this category as Brosnahan won for a new show by the creator of "Gilmore Girls" from Amazon Studios.
Amazon
Snub: Tommy Wiseau not being allowed to speak on stage
James Franco called "The Room" filmmaker Tommy Wiseau on stage while accepting his award for Best Actor Musical or Comedy for "The Disaster Artist," a movie about the making of "The Room." When Wiseau gunned for the microphone, Franco pushed him away. The crowd -- and a good portion of the Twitterati -- anxiously waited for Wiseau to speak, but he never did.
Getty Images
Surprise: "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" wins Best Screenplay
Sure, the race was tight between Greta Gerwig's "Lady Bird" and McDonagh's "Three Billboards" -- but many thought the award would go to Gerwig due to the fact that it's more heartfelt and has become the best-reviewed film in Rotten Tomatoes history.
Fox Searchlight
Snub: Robert De Niro, Best Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made For Television for "The Wizard of Lies"
Many predicted De Niro to win in this category, or Kyle MacLachlan for "Twin Peaks." But instead, Ewan McGregor won the award for "Fargo."
HBO
Surprise: Aziz Ansari, Best Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy for "Master of None"
Anthony Anderson for "black-ish" is always a strong contender, and voters apparently really liked the revived “Will and Grace,” so Eric McCormack was a frontrunner. TheWrap's Steve Pond predicted Kevin Bacon would win for "I Love Dick," but in the end, Ansari took home the prize.
Snub: "The Shape of Water" for Best Picture -- Drama
“The Shape of Water” has gotten raves for its gloriously imaginative filmmaking, yet it was snubbed for "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri."
Surprise: "Lady Bird" wins Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy
"Lady Bird," "The Disaster Artist" and "Get Out" were sure frontrunners, but many had thought "Get Out" would win due to its social criticism (although the HFPA received criticism for accepting it as a comedy). "Lady Bird" is also a surprising win given that director Greta Gerwig wasn't even nominated in the Best Director category.
A24
Snub: "Get Out"
Jordan Peele's directorial debut was one of the most-talked about films in 2017, but the HFPA sent the film, starring Daniel Kaluuya and Allison Williams, home empty-handed.
Universal
Surprise: "This Is Me" for Best Original Song from "The Greatest Showman"
The category had a lot of great nominees, including "Remember Me" from "Coco" and Nick Jonas' "Home" for "Ferdinand."
Fox
Snub: "Call Me by Your Name"
"Call Me by Your Name," starring Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer, was a strong contender in multiple categories, but one of the most critically-revered films in 2017 went home without one Golden Globe award.
SPC
Snub: "The Post"
Like "Call Me by Your Name," Steven Spielberg's drama starring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks took home zero awards.
Fox
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“Three Billboards” star beats out Willem Dafoe in “Florida Project,” while Rachel Brosnahan won for new show “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
Here's who the HFPA embraced -- and skipped -- during the 75th Golden Globes on Jan. 7.