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A video showing a rare Tom Waits interview has added fuel to the fire surrounding rumours that Heath Ledger based his character of The Joker in Batman movie The Dark Knight on the singer.

The clip, which you can see below, shows Waits appearing on The Don Lane Show in 1979 where he gives a stilted but immensely watchable interview that is full of the mannerisms depicted by Ledger in the 2008 film.

There are many theories on just who Ledger based The Joker on with stories about a book he kept detailing the things his character would find funny (AIDS, blind babies) on him throughout filming. Watching this it's hard to dispute that Waits was a major influence.

Waits and Ledger had some shared history too, with the singer appearing alongside the Australian actor in The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus before his death in 2008.

Check out Tom Waits on The Don Lane Show to see for yourself (skip to 1:30 for Waits appearance).