Jared Leto won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for playing Rayon, a trans woman with HIV, in Dallas Buyers Club. The Mr. Nobody actor, known for his method acting, shed 13 kg for this role and waxed his entire body. Before his Oscar win, Leto made an impression with his exceptional but harrowing portrayal of a drug addict in Requiem for a Dream. His commitment reached new heights when he took up the role of The Joker in the DCEU movie, Suicide Squad.
The Panic Room actor was reportedly in character the whole time for the movie, and Will Smith, who played Deadshot, revealed that he never met the real Jared Leto on set. However, some cast accounts suggest that Leto might have gone too far with his antics on set.
Jared Leto Sent Horrific Gifts To His Suicide Squad Co-Stars
Jared Leto joined the ranks of great actors who have played the Joker, following the likes of Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, and later Joaquin Phoenix. Leto added a touch of Shakespearean flair to the character, even listening to gospel music in character. However, the House of Gucci actor took method acting to the extreme and reports emerged that he became a nuisance for the cast of Suicide Squad.
Leto humiliated himself by sending unorthodox gifts to his fellow cast members. He sent a live rat to Margot Robbie, who played Harley Quinn. Robbie, being the wild Australian she is, kept the rat as a pet until her landlord discovered it. Another co-star of the Morbius actor, Viola Davis, who played Amanda Waller, shared that a henchman sent by the Thirty Seconds to Mars singer brought a dead pig into the rehearsal room.
Leto admitted to these pranks in an interview with E! News, explaining that The Joker was a villain who never respected boundaries and did things that sent a shocking surprise to his adversaries. He even disclosed that he sent some cast members an*l beads and used c*ndoms. When asked about the horrific gifts, Leto shared with E! News:
“Don’t forget the an*l beads. And the used c*ndoms. I did a lot of things to create a dynamic, to create an element of surprise, of spontaneity, and to really break down any kind of walls that may be there. The Joker is somebody who doesn’t really respect things like personal space or boundaries.”
His comments on sending used c*ndoms received backlash especially since the Fight Club actor was well aware of HIV-related issues, after his Dallas Buyers Club role. However, David Ayer, the director of the film, cleared the air about the “used c*ndoms” remark.
David Ayer And Jared Leto Tried Some Damage Control After His Antics Got A Bad Rap
After Jared Leto himself opened up about his on-set behavior, his remarks raised a few eyebrows. David Ayer came in defense of Leto and shared that the Chapter 27 actor never did anything harmful on set. He clarified that there were no used c*ndoms on set, but admitted that he was mortified by Leto’s actions. The Fury director told The Rolling Stone:
“Look, they weren’t used condoms. Let’s be real here. They’re removed from their packages, but it wasn’t actually used. And, of course, I was mortified. Like, ‘Jared, put that stuff away – get that out of here, what are you doing?’”
Jared Leto also later shared that the seemingly horrific pranks were all taken in a playful spirit by the cast of Suicide Squad. The Little Things actor stressed that he never went too far with any of his pranks and all pranks were filmed by the crew. The pranks, according to Leto, were received with fun and laughter. The Alexander actor reasoned that if he had done something risky, he would have been fired from the movie. Leto shared with EW:
“There were no used condoms […] Any of the very few gifts that were ever given were given with a spirit of fun and adventure and received with laughter, fun, and adventure. It’s all filmed! They filmed it all! People were dying. We were just having a goof.”
While Suicide Squad was critically panned, Jared Leto’s role received some praise. Despite the negative reviews, the movie was a huge box-office success, grossing $746 million. Leto had limited screen time in the movie, but there were plans to bring the character back in future DCEU films.
Suicide Squad is now available for streaming on Max.
Source: The Rolling Stone, E! News, EW
