Sixteen actors you forgot appeared in Batman movies

It is fair to say that the Batman movies are some of Warner Bros. Pictures’ most profitable films. The series – which counts billion-dollar entries such as The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012) in its mix – has achieved a high profile and has attracted countless well-known, established actors to its ever-expanding cast list.

I have previously posted about the cast of the Batman movies, noting many of the big named actors who have featured in the series, from Jack Nicholson to Arnold Schwarzenegger and Joaquin Phoenix. If you want a full rundown of the core cast for each movie, click on the link above.

In this post, I am highlighting 16 actors who you may have forgotten appeared in a Batman movie. These are actors who either had small roles or who were perhaps overshadowed by some of their cast members.

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Jack Palance

Everyone remembers Jack Nicholson in Batman – he stole the entire movie in the role of the Joker. But what about the other Jack in the movie?

Legendary actor, Jack Palance (Shane, Young Guns, City Slickers etc) appeared in Tim Burton’s Batman in the role of mob boss, Carl Grissom. The actor shared scenes with Nicholson, before he was abruptly bumped off by the Joker.

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Billy Dee Williams

Another actor who many forget appeared in a Batman movie is Star Wars actor, Billy Dee Williams. Once again, the film was 1989’s Batman, where Williams took on the role of Gotham City’s District Attorney, Harvey Dent.

Williams signed up to Batman under the belief his character would reappear in sequels, specifically to make the transition into Dent’s alter-ego, Two-Face. Unfortunately, when Dent made his return in Batman Forever it was in the form of actor Tommy Lee Jones, leaving Williams on the side lines.

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Drew Barrymore

Search your memory banks and you will realise you know this already, yet somewhere along the line you probably forgot that Drew Barrymore appeared in a Batman film. The movie in question was 1995’s Batman Forever, where the actress played Sugar – one half of Two-Face’s gal gang, Sugar and Spice.

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Tom Conti

Do you remember seeing Tom Conti in a Batman movie? If you don’t, then you have most certainly forgotten about his small role in The Dark Knight Rises as a prisoner.

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Sharon Stone

Basic Instinct actress Sharon Stone appeared in a Batman movie. If you don’t remember it, then maybe you have never watched 2004’s Catwoman.

In Catwoman, Stone played the role of Laurel Hedare, the owner of a high-profile cosmetics company. Hedare also happened to be the chief villain of the picture.

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William Devane

A very minor role here, but a very important one. In The Dark Knight Rises, William Devane popped up as the President of the United States.

I guess, if you’re going to cast someone to play the President, it really should be William Devane.

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John Glover

If you associate character actor, John Glover with Batman then it is probably because he voiced the Riddler on the critically acclaimed television show, Batman: The Animated Series. However, he also appeared in the live-action Batman movie, Batman & Robin, in the role of Dr. Jason Woodrue.

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Elle Macpherson

Sticking with Batman & Robin, model turned actress, Elle Macpherson also cropped up in the film, via a small role as Bruce Wayne’s love interest. Macpherson played the part of Julie Madison in a couple of scenes opposite George Clooney.

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Jerry Hall

The film was Batman, the role was the Joker’s girlfriend, Alicia Hunt. Jerry Hall took on the part… or had you forgotten?

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Anthony Michael Hall

The Breakfast Club star, Anthony Michael Hall made a brief appearance in 2008’s The Dark Knight – do you remember? The actor played the role of television reporter, Mike Engel.

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Will Smith

Will Smith is a huge star, so chances are you do recall this one. However, Smith has been included on this list because his performance in Suicide Squad (2016) was overshadowed by Margot Robbie’s role as Harley Quinn, as well as the attention that surrounded Jared Leto’s turn as the Joker.

So yes, in case you have forgotten, Will Smith appeared in a Batman movie. He played the role of Floyd Lawton/Deadshot.

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Ben Mendelsohn and Burn Gorman

Do you recall these ones?

In The Dark Knight Rises, Ben Mendelsohn took on the role of John Daggett, while Torchwood actor, Burn Gorman played the part of Stryver.

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Patrick Leahy

This one is a little bit special, because US Senator, Patrick Leahy appeared in not one, not two, but five Batman movies!

Some of these cameos have seen Leahy play himself, while other roles have included a board member at Wayne Enterprises.

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Juno Temple

British actress Juno Temple appears in a small role in The Dark Knight Rises. The actress, known for roles in Maleficent (2014) and Unsane (2018) played the part of Jen – a friend of Selina Kyle’s.

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Joe Manganiello

And finally, a name that was associated with the Batman movies for quite some time, only for his connection to be a small cameo during a post credit scene in Justice League. The actor is Joe Manganiello and the role is Deathstroke.

Manganiello was originally set to star as Deathstroke in a Ben Affleck solo Batman movie. However, when Affleck quit the project, Manganiello’s involvement was quietly phased out leaving his Justice League cameo as a reminder of what could have been.

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For full details about the Batman cast, take a look through my aforementioned post: ‘Who are the cast of Batman?’ Alternatively, for further Batman movie-related posts, feel free to read through one of the recommended reads below.

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