Photo: ADRIAN SANCHEZ-GONZALEZ (Getty Images)
Jared Leto is probably one of the weirdest young actors in Hollywood right now. Known for his love for brightly colored suits and the constantly changing image, Leto always stood out in one way or another. In fact, due to his pretty-boy image, he was seldom taken seriously as an actor, especially since he also fronted a rock band called 30 Seconds to Mars. However, over the years, Leto has appeared in a number of acclaimed films like Prefontaine, Requiem for a Dream, Chapter 27, Dallas Buyers Club, Mr. Nobody, and many others. His method acting didn’t go unnoticed, though, and in 2013 he finally received an Academy Award for his role as a transgender woman Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club. Here are some facts you probably didn’t know about this amazing artist.
Early Career
Jared’s second role ever on the screen was in a cult TV show – My So-Called Life. He played Jordan Catalano, a dyslexic student who is a love interest of the main character played by Claire Danes. Although the producers of the show wanted him only in a couple of episodes, they changed their mind once they saw his performance. Soon he became the part of the main cast and one of its most loveable characters. Jared even contributed to the iconic soundtrack of the show.
Hippie Life
Even his childhood was somewhat unique. His parents divorced when he was young and Jared continued living with his mother and her family. As his mother became more and more interested in the hippie movement, she made sure her two boys also followed. Jared admitted in an interview that he was often surrounded by artists, musicians, actors, while they were all living in their communes. It was a creative community that eventually inspired Jared to become an artist himself.
Requiem for a Dream
One of Jared’s most famous roles is the one in Requiem for a Dream, where he brilliantly played a drug addict alongside Jennifer Connelly. But did you know that, for the purpose of the film, he abstained from sex for two whole months? This might not sound like too much for those of you who don’t really get it anyway, but for a man like Jared, it’s quite an achievement. As if that’s not enough, he also spent two months living on the street to get into the role.
Private
There are a lot of things we don’t know about Jared, mainly because he loves keeping his private life out of the eye of the public. All we get are glimpses so we know that he was engaged to Cameron Diaz at one point and was once spotted making out with Parris Hilton. However, in one interview he mentioned that he doesn’t have relationships, but friends. It could be the hippie in him talking. Of course, these statements sparked questions like – is Jared Leto gay? It is impossible to answer, though, as we really know so little about his personal life.
Deformity
In almost all of his films, Leto’s characters are deformed in some way. In a legendary scene from Requiem for a Dream, his character’s hand gets amputated. In the Fight Club, his face gets demolished beyond recognition. In the Panic Room (starring Jodi Foster) his face is burnt. In Chapter 27, he changed his appearance by gaining weight and risking his health. In Mr. Nobody, he has scars and uses prosthetics. In Dallas Buyers Club he is a transgender woman. In Suicide Squad… well… it’s beyond words.
Joker Madness
The role of the Joker seems to have influenced every actor who’s ever played it in a number of unsettling ways. From Mark Hammil, Jack Nicholson, to the late Heath Ledger, and Jared Leto, they’ve all stated it’s a haunting experience. Being a method actor, Jared Leto may have taken it to a whole new level in Suicide Squad as he never broke the character and didn’t even meet the rest of the crew. Instead, he sent them creepy presents like used condoms, live rats, bullets, a dead pig and so on. It wasn’t until the shooting ended that he came back to his true self.
Did you know these things about Jared Leto? Is there anything you’d like to add? Feel free to post it in the comment section below.
