Shamier Anderson had a breakout role in the recently released John Wick: Chapter 4, starring as the mysterious hitman Mr. Nobody. According to Anderson, preparation for the role had him looking at many performances, including an iconic clown.
Speaking to Vulture, Anderson revealed that in order to get his character down, he looked to the performance of Heath Ledger as the Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. For Anderson, he wanted to make sure his character left audience members excited and wondering more about him.
“I looked at the Joker and studied a lot of what Heath Ledger did, how exciting that character was; you just knew that guy had a robust past,” Anderson said. “Like, ‘Why did he get those scars?’ And, for me, ‘Why do I have this canine? Why do I have this knapsack? Why am I dressed like this?’ This guy’s transient, he has pockets because he travels so much; he doesn’t really change. That notebook you see in the film, I took that home and wrote a lot in there. That knapsack that he had on, I had a lot of personal items, like dog toys, dog treats, lighters engraved with my name. I just had to put my DNA on this. And I think it’s translating as people are infatuated with the Tracker.”
In the film, Anderson’s Mr. Nobody/The Tracker is tasked with tracking down John Wick, leading him to find himself thrust into the overall adventure that Wick is on. It’s unknown whether or not Anderson will appear in future John Wick films, but his appearance in John Wick: Chapter 4 was enough to make him an instant fan favorite.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is now available in theaters.