It is a well-known fact by now that Jared Leto is a proud method actor – with some questionable methods.
He had to sit down with GQ after his Joker portrayal on Suicide Squad to explain that he never gave Aussie co-star Margot Robbie a dead rat as a gift – it was, in fact, alive.
For his role as a heroin addict in Requiem for a Dream, Leto lived on the streets of New York City with real heroin addicts, even going so far as “shooting up” water while living with the group.
He gained almost 70 pounds (31.7 kilograms) to portray John Lennon’s accused killer Mark David Chapman in Chapter 27.
For his latest role, in Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci, Leto stars alongside Adam Driver, Camille Cottin and Lady Gaga as fashion designer and business magnate Paola Gucci.
In an interview with i-D, Leto said he “did it all” to capture the legacy of his character.
“I was snorting lines of arrabbiata sauce by the middle of this movie,” he said.
Love Film & TV?
Get the latest Film & TV news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
“I had olive oil for blood. This was a deep dive I did. If you took a biopsy of my skin, it would come back as parmesan cheese!”
Describing it as his “love letter to Italy”, Leto said he embraced the Italian accent, living in that space for as long as he could.
“I climbed into that creative cave and came out through the bowels and intestines into the oesophagus of the one and only Paolo Gucci,” he said.
“Bringing Paolo to life was like birthing a bowling ball out of my sphincter.”
Leto also mentioned his penchant for “immersive” acting, and how it helped projects feel less “daunting”.
“You’re so entrenched in your character that it’s like going to war,” he said.
“You’ve been training for the battle and there’s nothing that can stop you.”
