Jared Leto
Steve West | August 12, 2016
Dustin Hoffman and Christian Bale have similar reputations for acting seriousness including living the role off-screen. Whereas I like Hoffman, I am so-so about Bale. I can't determine exactly why I have such a lukewarm reaction to Bale because his choice of roles (not necessarily Batman) have been consistently well chosen. Hoffman and Day-Lewis - awesome. Bale and Leto - take 'em or leave 'em. Good thing I survived Leto's film prep for Mr. Nobody.
Scott Hardie | August 13, 2016
I like Hoffman on screen, but he has a reputation as a pain in the ass on set. He provokes other actors to bring out painful emotions in them, without appreciating that not every actor wants or needs that technique like he does. Vanity Fair just wrote about how Hoffman and Meryl Streep clashed on Kramer vs. Kramer. I wouldn't want to work with the man, but I can appreciate the results that his method brings out in his performances; he's been great in so many different kinds of roles.
Scott Hardie | August 20, 2016
This is my question to Jared Leto:
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Scott Hardie | August 12, 2016
Are there any Jared Leto fans here? Kelly and I were once acquainted with a young (~17 years old) woman who was head over heels in love with him and talked about him endlessly, so I know that he has some passionate fans.
I don't dislike him or anything, but I've found him mildly insufferable, and I think it finally dawned on me why: The man is so serious despite being a pretty-boy rock star who also wants to act. He seems to have no self-awareness nor any sense of humor about himself. He seems to need very badly to be taken seriously as an actor and can't just relax, even after winning an Oscar.
Stories I've heard about Leto being Mr. Super Serious Method Actor Man:
- Playing mean pranks on his Suicide Squad costars in the spirit of the Joker, like mailing them his used condoms.
- Becoming sickly and emaciated to play an AIDS victim in Dallas Buyers Club and a drug addict in Requiem for a Dream.
- Gaining a ton of weight and turning into a schlub to play Mark David Chapman in Chapter 27.
- Building a runners' physique for Prefontaine.
Even in smaller roles like My So-Called Life and Alexander, the man is terribly serious. Kelly saw him in a little indie film called Mr. Nobody in which he was the last man on Earth, and she said it was pretty grim.
So what's the difference between Leto and Daniel Day-Lewis, who is a similarly committed method actor but much better respected? Is it that Day-Lewis has better taste in parts (I can't imagine him playing the Joker or being so hammy about it)? Is it that Day-Lewis doesn't believe in transforming his body to such extremes? Or is Day-Lewis just a more talented and more skilled actor?