Apparently, the acclaimed voice actor said that he’d be glad to step into the shoes of a live-action Joker, should DC give him a call. And Saints Row 5 as well, if it’s happening anyway.

I met Troy Baker today on the Supanova Comic Con Melbourne, which was held on the Melbourne Showgrounds on Ascot Vale. Him and fellow voice actor Nolan North were part of a line-up of celebrities, both from TV, movies, and video games, being featured in the pop culture convention.

Being a big fan of his works in Resident Evil 6 and the newer Saints Row games, I didn’t want to miss this opportunity. The opportunity to actually meet the man himself in person, and if possible, ask a couple of questions about him that has been bugging my mind.

One of those questions is on his portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime himself, the Joker. Specifically, I asked on whether or not he’d be interested in playing the sadistic prankster within the live-action DC movie area. Or as I worded it, “real acting”.

“Well, I’m doing very good in the ‘fake acting’ area myself,” he joked.

Baker is no stranger to lending his voice to the Jester of Genocide. His first outing as the Joker was in the 2013 video game Batman: Arkham Origins, playing a younger Joker facing against a younger Batman. Consequently, he’d played the character in multiple direct-to-video features. This includes Batman: Assault on Arkham, Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem, and Batman Unlimited: Mechs and Mutants.

I myself consider Baker as one of the better portrayals of the Joker in the media. Definitely up there, trailing close to Mark Hamill and Heath Ledger’s legendary performances as the Ace of Knaves. I find Baker being able to channel Hamill’s jovially psychotic take on the character perfectly. With the added bonus of his own versatility and energy, Baker’s depiction on Batman’s archnemesis is something to behold. Creepy in the best ways possible.

Not to mention Baker’s ability to do physical acting. Aside from voice work, Baker is also known for his motion capture performances, sometimes doubling as the video game characters he’s portrayed. This included him as Jake Muller in Resident Evil 6, Joel in The Last of Us, the upcoming The Last of Us Part II, and Delsin Rowe in Infamous: The Second Son. All of which are action-adventure video games, which would require demanding physical performance.

I’d say he’s got the personality and the physique of Mister J nailed. So why not go into live-action?

“If DC ever decided to give me a call, I’m all for it,” Baker said.

A satisfying answer to a terribly-worded question.

On to the next one: him and one of my favorite video game series of all time, Saints Row.

Baker had portrayed the series’ main character–dubbed ‘The Boss’–for Saints Row: The Third and Saints Row 4, respectively the third and fourth installment of the series. Interestingly enough, Nolan North also portrayed the same character in the fourth game. Because, you know, The Boss was a customizable character with multiple voices to choose from.

Baker’s performance in The Third was special to me personally because it was the first time ever I knew of Baker as a voice actor. And what’s not to love about his performance? His take on the series’ sociopath protagonist was smooth, calm, and plays remarkably well with the character’s nonchalant disregard for human life. It was a change of pace from the bloodthirsty, merciless, at-times terrifying previous iteration of the character, and Baker delivered the message effectively.

Now, it’s been close to six years since we encountered a numbered, major Saints Row title, the last being Saints Row 4 released in 2013. With the commercial failure of Saints Row spin-off Agents of Mayhem, the future of the series is becoming more questionable. The Third had been announced for release on Nintendo Switch this May, but other than that, no news on Saints Row 5.

“Absolutely!” answered Baker with delight. “I’ll absolutely accept it [the role], ’cause I am and will always be the real Boss!”

And with that reassuring answer, I parted ways with Baker, thanking him for making my day.

So that’s it: Baker is down for playing Joker in live-action (should he be asked for it) and The Boss from the next Saints Row game (should the game actually happen). Might not sound much, but these two questions have been nagging me for a while now, and the fact that I got to ask them to him–in person–makes it all the more worthwhile.

Thank you, Troy Baker. Hope you enjoy your stay and–as always–stay awesome!