"Martin, our shooting schedule's ahead of projections. Post-production can start early," Todd Phillips said.
"Great. I've already contacted Richard at Digital Domain. They'll be ready soon," Martin replied.
The two chatted casually. Martin's stellar performance seemed to ignite the supporting cast, pushing The Joker's filming pace faster than expected.
"Is the mental hospital set ready?" Martin asked.
"Almost—two days at most. But the Bronx isn't exactly safe, worse than Brooklyn. We should aim to wrap daytime shoots."
In a dimly lit room, Arthur sat across from a psychologist at a rectangular table.
"I just feel like being locked up in here might be better. Maybe I was born for this place," Arthur said.
A sharp, uncontrollable laugh followed.
The cinematographer zoomed in, focusing tightly on Martin's face. His desperate struggle to suppress the laughter—tinged with panic, insecurity, and helplessness—drew a gasp of admiration from Todd.
The psychologist, unfazed by Arthur's state, asked coldly amid his stifled laughter, "Have you ever thought about why you're locked up?"
Arthur lifted his drooping head, still chuckling intermittently. "Isn't it—haha—obvious? Hahaha, I'm sick—haha—I'm sick!"
"That was unreal, absolutely chilling!" Chris Pratt said, awestruck. "Best performance I've ever seen."
Daniel Kaluuya nodded vigorously. "It's like watching some kind of evil grow inside Arthur. Gives me goosebumps. Being on The Joker set has completely changed how I see acting."
They weren't just sucking up—Martin's performance had genuinely floored them. For Daniel, witnessing Martin's transcendent acting up close was a soul-shaking revelation.
"Martin said the pinnacle of acting is becoming—becoming the character, the person you're playing," Chris said, shaking his head. "But how many can actually do that?"
The performance continued.
Psychologist: "Why do you laugh?"
Arthur: "I don't know. People laugh when they're happy, when they're sad. Me? I just laugh."
With a simple line, Martin captured Arthur's profound loneliness, his sense of being an outcast, even to himself. As he spoke, another uncontrollable bout of laughter erupted, but this time, he didn't fight it. The shrill, unhinged sound filled the room.
The actress playing the psychologist couldn't maintain her stoic facade. To her, the shadowy figure before her was morphing into the very image of a demon in her mind.
"Ah!" she screamed, leaping to her feet.
"What the hell?" Chris Pratt and the crew gaped.
"Acting flub," Daniel grumbled. "What a shame—Meyers' performance was phenomenal, and this psychologist chick's too amateur."
If the actress heard him, she'd probably snap, You try sitting across from Martin and acting that scene. You can't feel it unless you're there—the crushing, icy negativity radiating from him, shredding your psyche.
To everyone's surprise, Todd didn't call cut. His eyes stayed locked on the monitor, as if entranced.
With no stop, Martin pressed on. His piercing, desperate, pained laughter continued, blending with the psychologist's screams. One sat, one stood—one laughing maniacally, the other shrieking in terror. One shrouded in darkness, the other caught in a dim ray from the window.
The frame created a bizarre yet harmonious image, leaving Todd in awe.
In film history, many iconic moments were accidents, often feeling more natural than scripted takes. Like the laughing scene in Zero to Hero, the forgotten line in Infernal Affairs, the accidental cut in Django Unchained, or Leonardo's flubbed line in Titanic when sketching Rose: "Over on the couch" became "Over on the bed—the couch." Cameron loved the mistake and kept it.
Martin's performance, paired with the psychologist's startled reaction, achieved that same magic.
"Cut! That was perfect!" Todd shouted. "Martin, come see this—it's better than we planned!"
Martin snapped out of character instantly and walked to the monitor. The actress, however, remained dazed, collapsing into her chair, drenched in cold sweat. After a long moment, she jolted upright, as if waking from a trance, and scurried to the lounge to soothe her rattled nerves.
"She looked genuinely freaked out—not acting," Chris remarked.
"I'd kill to know what it's like to play opposite Martin," Daniel said, mesmerized.
The New York Times: "Gallup's October 9 poll shows Democratic candidate Barack Obama leading Republican John McCain 52% to 41%, an 11-point gap. This marks Obama's second consecutive day with a double-digit lead and his 13th straight day in the lead, setting records."
The Washington Post: "Following Sarah Palin's October 4 attack linking Obama to terrorists, Cindy McCain took up the offensive on the 8th, calling Obama cold-hearted. She claimed Obama opposed funding for U.S. troops in Iraq, where her son serves. 'Senator Obama's vote against supporting my son sent a chill through me from head to toe.'"
The Los Angeles Times: "While filming The Joker, Hollywood titan Martin Meyers is also rallying votes for Obama, whose 52% approval rating owes much to Meyers' influence."