17 years after The Dark Knight was released, Michael Caine recalls being "floored" and "terrified" by Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker

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Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight is one for the ages.

He was so good, Michael Caine became genuinely scared of him while filming.

“The smeared makeup, the weird hair, the strange voice.

It was chilling,” he says,perNME.

“Absolutely floored me the first time I saw him in action I was terrified.”

He adds the rest of the cast felt inspired to up their game since Ledger was so invested.

It is a startling rendition of the character; menacing and eccentric and quite leftfield.

Everyone was silenced once they saw what he and Nolan managed to conjure.

Sadly, he never got to see the reaction, passing away during the post-production process in early 2008.

Caine laments his young co-star.

“Heath was only 28 when he passed away.

I hadn’t even made Zulu when I was that age.