Best Acting Performances By Jared Leto, Ranked

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Without a doubt, Jared Leto is one of the most varied and divisive actors working today. Since the early 1990s, he has worked in Hollywood as an actor in both films and TV. Leto has proven to be very versatile when it comes to shifting roles, appearing in everything from enormous blockbusters to smaller independent flicks. Despite his huge celebrity and omnipresence in pop culture, you might be shocked to learn that during the course of his nearly 30-year Hollywood career, Leto has been quite picky with movie parts. Here is a list of Jared Leto’s top five acting performances:

1. Prefontaine by Steve James

One among the best acting performances of Jared Leto.
American biographical film chronicling the life of the American long-distance runner Steve Prefontaine and his death at the age of 24.
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Prefontaine is a 1997 true story about Olympic runner Steve Prefontaine, who was killed while driving drunk. Leto plunged himself into the life of the runner for his performance in the upcoming movie. He resembled so much like Prefontaine that the athlete’s sister Linda cried when he came in character, set to run. Leto immersed himself in the role, assuming both the appearance and mentality of a long-distance runner.

2. The Outsider by Martin Zandvliet

One among the best acting performances of Jared Leto.
Japanese-American crime thriller film directed by Martin Zandvliet and written by Andrew Baldwin.
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In his favor, Jared Leto’s sparse portrayal in The Outsider is quite excellent, as he is able to convey plenty about his subject’s inner anguish and harsh nature in a simple and subtly delivered manner. Surprisingly, among his more aggressive portrayals, this chilly and clinical performance shines brighter, especially because he gladly enables the narrative to rely more on the movie’s visual poetry.

3. House Of Gucci by Ridley Scott

One among the best acting performances of Jared Leto.
Biographical drama based on The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, & Greed.

Ridley Scott‘s flamboyant dramatization of Maurizio Gucci’s death is a recklessly frothy 158-minute camp-fest in which the performers cannot be blamed for misinterpreting the objective. Though Lady Gaga’s delightful main appearance is one issue, Leto’s attention-getting appearance as Paolo Gucci is another, with some hailing it as a masterpiece in self-aware absurdity and others dismissing it as an over-egged comedy of errors. In any case, Jared Leto as Maurizio’s boisterous doofus cousin is hilariously entertaining underneath the full face of makeup.

4. Requiem for a Dream by Darren Aronofsky

One among the best acting performances of Jared Leto.
American psychological drama film based on the 1978 novel of the same name.

Leto portrays a Coney Island resident in this movie, who is battling a substance addiction that spins out of control, costing him not just his lover (Jennifer Connelly), but also one of his arms. Jared Leto gives a tremendous performance, courtesy of Darren Aronofsky’s direction, that catapulted his career to new heights.

5. Mr. Nobody by Jaco Van Dormael

One among the best acting performances of Jared Leto.
2009 science fiction drama film written and directed by Jaco Van Dormael.
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Mr. Nobody is an extraordinarily audacious sci-fi drama, and it is without a doubt the most undervalued work in Leto’s whole résumé. Mr. Nobody is a magnificent, artistically stunning movie, with Jared Leto offering one of his finest and most expressive appearances. Although its scope may eventually outstrip its understanding, this is nonetheless an addictively dizzying play on a plethora of ripe sci-fi topics, including memory, choice, and mortality. It surely deserved better than to be completely overlooked by the general public upon its initial release.

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Written by Alfeeya Pathan

Articles Published: 342

Alfeeya Pathan is an entertainment news writer at FandomWire. With over 4 years of experience in writing and a Bachelor's in Journalism and Mass Communication, Alfeeya has honed her skills in writing compelling news for reader's.