While the past few years haven’t exactly been the best for Jared Leto in the acting realm, following the abysmal Morbius, the actor has his fair share of highs under his belt. From delivering an exquisite performance in Requiem for a Dream to Blade Runner 2049 despite less screen time, the actor has often hit it out of the park with the right material in hand.
And one of his finest performances arrived playing the supporting character in Dallas Buyers Club, which earned him his Oscar win. But while delivering his acceptance speech at the Academy Awards, the Suicide Squad Star stumbled over his words for a brief moment after making eye contact with Robert De Niro.
Locking Eyes With Robert De Niro Made Jared Leto Nervous
Despite starring opposite Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto wasn’t overshadowed by McConaughey’s presence in the film, standing out playing Rayon in the drama. As a result, the actor deservingly took home his Oscar Win for Best Supporting Actor, but things went a little off track during his acceptance speech. While Leto delivered a heartwarming speech, dedicated to his mom and brother, for a brief period he stumbled over his words after locking eyes with Taxi Driver Star Robert De Niro, as it made him nervous. According to Pressparty, Leto recalled,
“You know, a funny thing happens while you’re standing up there in front of all of these incredibly inspiring, impressive people that you’ve grown up watching on the screen. For some reason, I locked eyes with Robert De Niro at the beginning of my speech and he’s looking at me like, ‘you’re screwing this up kid.'”
Fortunately for Mr. Nobody Star, rolling his eyes back to his mom helped him pull it together, which resulted in him delivering a beautiful speech flowering his mom and brother with love.
Jared Leto’s Body Took a Toll for the Oscar-Winning Role
Securing the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor was far from convenient for Jared Leto, as apart from fully transforming into the tragic character, the actor lost substantial weight. While Leto was already slim before the filming for Dallas Buyers Club kickstarted, he lost an additional 38 pounds for the role. Per The New York Times, Leto said,
“I was already very thin. I may have got down to 112 or 113 (pounds), or something. I’m a healthy 150lbs. now. When you lose weight like that it’s a great tool. It changes the way that you walk, the way you talk, the way you think, the way you feel, the way people treat you. It changes everything about who you are.”
But apart from being an accomplished actor, Leto has also enjoyed great success in the realm of music, leading his band Thirty Seconds to Mars to prominent heights.
Source: The New York Times, Pressparty
