Jared Leto's Most Iconic Film and TV Roles
From Jordan Catalano to the Joker, L'OFFICIEL charts Leto's biggest career moments with these notable film and TV performances.
Before he became the Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman or carried his own head to the Met Gala, L'OFFICIEL Hommes cover star Jared Leto was the '90s teen heartthrob that viewers knew from the small screen. Following his breakout role as Jordan Catalano in the short-lived My So-Called Life, the part-time rockstar continued to make a name for himself as an actor while also pursuing music alongside his brother, Shannon. Nevertheless, over 25 years since his debut, Leto has starred in a myriad of well-received flicks, gained a reputation for his intense method of acting, and even won a few awards along the way.
While standout, Internet-beloved films like Suicide Squad or American Psycho may come to mind when first recalling the complete Jared Leto movies list, the actor has actually held numerous memorable roles that casual fans may not recognize him from, thanks to his penchant for prosthetic-laden characters and Leto's appearance-altering method acting techniques.
Though he told Variety in 2020 that method acting is a "cloudy" term for how he prepares for a role, his commitment to the craft is clear. The Oscar winner for Dallas Buyers Club has recounted the multifaceted way he went about accurately embodying the character. This included losing thirty pounds, shaving his entire body, and spending lots of time with transgender women to better understand his character.
In celebration of the actor's many achievements and nearly unrecognizable on-screen transformations, L'OFFICIEL looks back at 16 of Leto's most memorable roles.
Before he was a rockstar, America met Leto as Jordan Catalano in the cult series My So-Called Life (1994). The show stars Clare Danes as Angela Chase, a young high schooler who catches the eye of brooding bad boy Catalano who is more than meets the eye.
In what is considered his breakthrough cinematic role of the now-lengthy Jared Leto movies list, Leto stars in Prefontaine (1997) as the late Steve Prefontaine, an Olympic long-distance runner. The film uses Prefontaine's story to shed light on the rules and limitations surrounding amateur athletes.
Sporting a full beard and a quintessential 1960s wardrobe, Leto has a supporting role in the Angelina Jolie film Girl, Interrupted (1999) playing Winona Ryder's character's boyfriend, Tobias. While she remains hospitalized, Tobias escapes to Canada to avoid being drafted for the Vietnam War. Although he played a supporting character, his on-screen presence was palpable, and the many shocking twists in this film make it among the most revered on the complete Jared Leto movies list.
Proving that there's no look he can't pull off, Leto goes fully bleach blonde for his part as Angel Face in Fight Club (1999). His character joins the protagonists (Edward Norton and Brad Pitt) in their underground fight ring, Project Mayhem. However, after a brutal tussle with the Narrator, Angel Face's saintly features are no more.
Despite his eerie resemblance to co-star Christian Bale, Leto appeared in American Psycho (2000) as Paul Allen, office rival to Bale's Patrick Bateman. However, Leto's role is short-lived, as Bateman brutally murders Allen with an ax, setting up the plot for the rest of the film. Since the release of the film, several scenes featuring Paul Allen and Patrick Bateman have become viral Internet reaction memes, making this role one of his most well-known in the context of the entire Jared Leto movies list.
To prepare for his harrowing performance as a heroin addict Harry Goldfarb in Requiem for a Dream (2000), Leto followed a severely restrictive diet and lost 28 pounds. As he would eventually become known for his method acting skills, he also slept on the streets of New York City for periods of time to better understand his character.
Starring alongside Forest Whitaker and Dwight Yoakam as a crew of home invaders after $3 million, Leto's Junior helps hold Jodie Foster and Kristen Stewart's characters hostage in the David Fincher-directed crime thriller.
Alongside fellow heartthrob Jake Gyllenhaal, Leto plays the mohawk-sporting Jack Hayes in the independent thriller Highway (2002). Together with Jack's love interest Cassie, played by Selma Blair, the group flees from Las Vegas to Seattle to evade a local crime boss.
In the 2007 drama Chapter 27, Leto plays John Lennon's killer, Mark David Chapman. Dedicated to the role, the actor gained 67 pounds to play the Lennon-obsessed man.
Leto stars in the sci-fi drama Mr. Nobody (2009) as Nemo Nobody, the last living mortal on Earth. As he recalls his past, the movie depicts the loves and struggles throughout his life. Leto's performance was praised by critics for maintaining a strong presence as the lead in such a complex film, making it one of the highest critically received films in the complete Jared Leto movies list.
Leto won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2013 for his role as Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club. Rayon, an HIV-positive transwoman, partners with another AIDS patient, played by Matthew McConaughey, to sell unapproved pharmaceutical drugs to others diagnosed. He received much critical acclaim for his performance but was also criticized for playing a transwoman despite being a straight, cisgender man.
Following in the footsteps of Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger, and preceding Joaquin Phoenix's Oscar-winning performance, Leto played The Joker in the 2016 film Suicide Squad. While filming, Leto reportedly stayed in character at all times, including pulling pranks on fellow cast members. Leto's version of The Joker also appeared in Zack Snyder's Justice League the following year. Out of all of his portrayals of villainous, morally suspect characters, his stint as the Joker marks one of the most iconic roles within the Jared Leto movies list.
Starring alongside Lady Gaga and Adam Driver, Leto was unrecognizable in Ridley Scott's House of Gucci. In the chicest film on the Jared Leto movies list, the actor portrayed Paolo Gucci, the grandson of the luxury label's founder, Guccio Gucci. Playing Paolo Gucci, Leto underwent extreme prosthetics to make himself look like the real-life version of his character. Leto told Deadline that because his transformation was so extensive, "It’s safe to say no one ever saw me out of character.” Leto is no stranger to playing a dubious, antagonistic character, so fans of the actor were not surprised to see him in this role, where Paolo Gucci's family drama came to a head.
For yet another iconic role on the lengthy Jared Leto movies list, the actor took on the role of WeWork founder Adam Neumann, where he dramatically transformed his appearance again. In the illuminating Hulu series WeCrashed, Leto stars alongside Anne Hathway to share the story of the rise and fall of WeWork. Although not as dramatic as his role in House of Gucci, Leto's look underwent changes to make him look more like Neumann. Leto shared that he met Neumann and told him not to watch the show when it came out.
Stepping away from the DC Universe and into Marvel territory, Leto's latest role is Michael Morbius in Morbius. After an experiment to cure his rare blood disease goes wrong, the biochemist turns himself into Morbius the Dark Vampire. For this film, Leto underwent extensive makeup yet again, to achieve the dark vampire look. When talking about his new role with Variety, Leto said, "I’ve always been interested in transformation, and this was a way to explore that territory in a big Marvel film. It was impossible to say no." Among the Jared Leto movies list, his stint as Morbius is no doubt one of the most infamous and memorable.
In a dive into the horror genre, Leto portrays Allistair Crump, a demonic presence and the main antagonist of 'Haunted Mansion.' The character, whose skeletal face and ghostly presence frightened audiences, is the ghost of a wealthy tycoon who was beheaded for his treachery. The movie revolves around the main characters, played by Lakeith Stanfield, Jamie Lee Curtis, Rosario Dawson, and Tiffany Haddish, who attempt to expel him from the titular mansion. While other horror-adjacent films on the Jared Leto movies list are sure to haunt you long after your first watch, thanks to the psychological element of horror, this Disney movie leans more spooky than scary.
