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    Did Tom Waits Inspire Heath Ledger's Joker? [VIDEO]

    Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker in The Dark Knight is legendary. So is Tom Waits.

    [More from Mashable: Matchbox Twenty’s ‘She’s So Mean’ Stars Manic Woman [VIDEO]]

    If these thoughts seem disconnected, you clearly need to watch this video.

    The 1979 Australian TV interview with then 29-year-old Waits has been making the viral rounds on the Internet this weekend, and for good reason -- Waits' voice is virtually indistinguishable from Ledger's memorably creepy Joker. The only difference? Waits is speaking this way in real life.

    [More from Mashable: Top 10 GIFs of the Week]

    Also worth noting is interviewer Don Lane's impressive -- and presumably unintentional -- rendition of Phil Hartman's Frank Sinatra impression.

    The two share a genuinely awkward (read: hilarious) conversation -- witness Waits struggling to sit up and Lane attempting to avoid second-hand smoke to no avail.

    Ledger's extreme commitment to his role as The Joker has been a topic of interest for years, particularly after the actor's untimely death.

    But it seems that a little credit may be due to Waits's unique voice -- and perhaps even his casually bizarre demeanor.

    Do you see the similarity? Let us know in the comments.

    This story originally published on Mashable here.

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