Clowns are one of those weird things that creep people out. They’re supposed to make people laugh, to put a smile on their face. Instead, their happiness ends up creeping some people out to no end, something that I personally don’t understand. Then again, I’m terrified of spiders that are a tenth of the size of my pinky nail, so I guess I can’t really talk.
Throughout film and TV history, clowns have been characters used to convey both joy and pain. The 1928 film adventure/horror film The Man Who Laughs introduced the world to Gwynplaine, a man who was surgically disfigured so as to always bear a haunting rictus. Played by Conrad Veidt, of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari fame, the character became the inspiration for DC’s Joker, who was played by Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, and most recently by Jared Leto, as well as others.
Gwynplaine is but one example of clown-like characters who have gone on to haunt our dreams, proving that a smile doesn’t always equal happiness. In fact, sometimes the widest of smiles are the ones hiding the most pain.
Below is an infographic that highlights 13 iconic clowns throughout film and TV history, as well as throwing some honorable mentions into the mix. As you look through them, why not think of your own favorite and let us know in the comments?