Jackie Earle Haley in Watchmen

Description: Jackie Earle Haley as Walter Kovacs / Rorschach in Watchmen. A masked vigilante who continues his vigilante activities after they are outlawed. Unlike the other five principal actors, Haley had read the comic and was keen to pursue the role when he heard he had become a favorite candidate among fans. He and fourteen friends put together his... ( +expand to view full text )

Description: Jackie Earle Haley as Walter Kovacs / Rorschach in Watchmen. A masked vigilante who continues his vigilante activities after they are outlawed. Unlike the other five principal actors, Haley had read the comic and was keen to pursue the role when he heard he had become a favorite candidate among fans. He and fourteen friends put together his audition, where he performed scenes from the comic. Haley "almost went nuts" trying to reconcile his understanding of complex human behavior with Rorschach's moral absolutism, stating the character made him wonder if people generally just make excuses for their bad actions. Rorschach wears a mask with ink blots: motion capture markers were put on the contours of Haley's blank mask, for animators to create his ever-changing expressions. Haley found the mask "incredibly motivating for the character" because of its confining design, which heated up quickly. Small holes were made in the mask for him to see. Haley has a black belt in Kenp¨­, but described Rorshach's attack patterns as sloppier and more aggressive due to the character's boxing background.