JAMES FRANCO - JAMES FRANCO CALLS FOR OSCAR GLORY FOR LEDGER'S JOKER

JAMES FRANCO CALLS FOR OSCAR GLORY FOR LEDGER'S JOKER

Actor James Franco has paid tribute to the realism of the late Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker.

Writing as part of Variety's 'Contenders' issue, in which actors single out their fellow professionals for praise ahead of the awards season, Franco said the Australian's role in The Dark Knight had real emotional depth.

Unusually for a blockbuster film - with The Dark Knight second in all-time box office takings, behind Titanic - the Batman Begins sequel has been widely tipped for Oscar recognition in 2009.

Director Christopher Nolan is thought a likely nominee while the power of Ledger's turn as The Joker saw critics and audience touting him for a posthumous acting Oscar.

Having starred in a comic book film himself - as Harry Osborn in the Spider-Man films, Franco admitted that Ledger's work in The Dark Knight was "great".

"With any superhero movie villain, everybody is still contending with the huge shadow that Jack Nicholson cast with the first Batman," he went on.

"His was such an indelible performance. Heath had to be very conscious of it when he and Christopher Nolan went into their movie.

"And they did such an incredible job of getting away from the Nicholson character while being faithful to the idea of the Joker."

Ledger was found dead in his New York City apartment in January, having suffered an accidental overdose of prescription medication.

Franco added: "Heath wasn't the funniest of Jokers, but certainly the more grounded of villains.

"At least on an emotional level, you could follow why he was doing this stuff; there was real emotional depth."

The Dark Knight may be re-released in January in a bid for Oscar glory, Warner Bros revealed in September.