Welcome back readers! After a long holiday break, it’s good to be back and bringing you more interesting facts about the famous superhero Batman!
Everyone knows who Batman is, but did you know that James PATTISON was the one who played this iconic superhero in the film Batman Forever? Or that he’s been voicing the Joker for years? Or that he’s the older brother of pop-rock star and comedian Jason PATTISON? Perhaps you recognize the name Jason PATTISON from his music career, but he’s best known as the lead singer of the band Simple Creatures.
In this article, we’ll discuss the fascinating life and times of Jason PATTISON, the younger brother of James.
The Early Years
Jason PATTISON was born on December 2, 1975 in Basingstoke, England. He is the son of actress Helen PATTISON and the late Peter PATTISON, a doctor. Growing up in a musical family, he naturally started singing and playing instruments when he was a child. He attended Winchester College in England, where he majored in chemistry and physics. After graduation, he moved to New York City to study at the Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.
In New York City, he worked as a subway conductor before enrolling in acting classes. While studying at Columbia, he made his Broadway debut in a production of Curious Case of the Dogfeathers in 2007. In 2010, he made his Hollywood debut in the film The Kids Are Alright, starring Julia Roberts, Angelina Jolie, and Jack Nicholson.
The following year, he appeared in a supporting role in the Zack Snyder film Dawn of the Dead and had a small part in the Judd Apatow comedy We Need to Talk About Kevin. In 2012, Jason PATTISON played Mark Henry in the film adaptation of The Hunger Games, part of Francis Pullman’s dystopian novel series of the same name. He also starred alongside Susan Sarandon and Ann-Margret in the independent crime film Dead Man’s Letters. This was followed by a small part in the drama film The Spectacular Now and a lead role in the romantic comedy Tammy. In 2014, he appeared in the film festival circuit, starring alongside Sandra Bullock in the drama Bird Box, as well as a lead role in the satirical comedy The Circle. He most recently played opposite Ben Stiller and Rebel Wilson in the comedy The Happy Worker.
The Joker
After voicing various characters in animated films, including Jimmy, the young boy dressed in a superhero outfit in The LEGO Movie 2 , and Chip, the dog from Walking With Dinosaurs, Batman’s best friend in the animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold , and several others, James PATTISON was finally given the opportunity to voice the Joker in 2017’s The Joker: A Poisonous Puzzle. In accordance with DC Comics’ character, the actor sports fake teeth and a horribly twisted smile. He is the main antagonist of the 2017 film The Joker, portraying the Clown Prince of Crime. In the film, he is set to appear in person as the Joker, a psychopathic loner who orchestrates elaborate schemes to kill, injure or intimidate the people he hates.
The following year, he continued to portray the Joker in the television series The Adventures of Jokerz. He also landed a part in Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War as part of a massive ensemble cast, reprising his role as the Joker. In the same year, he lent his voice to the video game The Division 2 as the Joker.
The Batman
In addition to portraying the Joker, James PATTISON also voiced Batman in The LEGO Movie 2 and Batman: The Brave and the Bold . In the latter series, the actor played the role of the protagonist’s guardian angel, Harvey Bullock. His casting was a surprise to many, given that he is not traditionally associated with the superhero genre. Nevertheless, he embodies the character’s brash, blunt personality perfectly.
The following year, he continued to voice Batman in several video games, including Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City, Batman: The Brave and the Bold and Batman: Arkham Origins. In 2016, James took on the role of Batman in a 10th Anniversary web series based on the DC Comics character. In the same year, he appeared in an episode of Black-ish as a prospective boyfriend of Grace (played by Yara Shahidi). In 2017, he played the superhero alongside Gal Gadot in the Wonder Woman film. In 2018, he portrayed the iconic superhero in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
The actor has also lent his voice to several animated films, including The Smurfs , Despicable Me , The LEGO Movie , Planes and The Boss Baby. He currently voices the title character in the Netflix series The Dragon Prince and is set to star in the upcoming Netflix series The Kingkiller Chronicles based on American author Michael Davies’ best-selling series of the same name.
The Man Behind The Mask
Behind the scenes of Hollywood films, there are often multiple personalities at play. One of the most fascinating characters in the history of Batman is Kirk Baily, also known as Lewis Dodgeson. Baily was a stuntman who doubled for Charlie Chaplin in the film The Great Dictator. He then went on to appear as Batman’s butler, Alfred, in early Batman films. He would subsequently go on to appear in a plethora of other Batman films, from Batman Returns to The Dark Knight Rises, always playing various parts, including Alfred. He would even go on to appear in a guest spot in The Flash as Alfred. He is perhaps best known, though, for playing Lewis in the 2013 film Annie. Baily’s life and career were recently chronicled in the book Mr. Baily by Scott L. Gillis.
On the set of The LEGO Movie 2 , director Chris McKay described Baily as “the most famous stuntman in the world” and “the most amazing man I’ve ever met.” He continued, “He has a lot of opinions about a lot of things, and he’ll give them to you with no holds barred. He once told me, ‘I don’t do heroes, I do villains. It’s who I am.’ And I think that sums it up. It’s a bit of a dangerous job, doing stunts, and I’m sure there are a few sad stories from his past. But he’s a really nice guy and a funny guy, too. On set, it was like hanging out with a legend. He always has the brightest smile. He’s always up for a laugh. I really enjoyed working with him.”
McKay also credited Baily with playing a pivotal role in the The LEGO Movie 2 film. “We were trying to do something different with The LEGO Movie 2 and wanted a more organic approach to storytelling. But with so much focus on the performance, we didn’t have much time to just be creative. Without Kirk, it would have been much harder to pull off what we wanted to do. He helped bring the story to life in a way that felt natural for Lego bricks. He was also crucial in helping give the movie pace and a flow that made sense within the context of the story. Without him, it’s likely that the movie wouldn’t have turned out exactly the way it did.”
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, we can say that James PATTISON has a bright future in front of him as an actor, voice actor, and director. We at Entertainment BizBlog wish him the best of luck in all of his endeavors!
As fans of Batman may know, there are numerous other famous faces among the villains and supporting characters of the famous superhero. Some of the most iconic stars and personalities in Hollywood history have donned the famous black-and-white costume, and the list of those individuals is truly impressive. Among them are: