Jared Leto's Most Extreme Movie Role Transformations
Almost three decades since Oscar winner Jared Leto began his career in the early '90s opposite Claire Danes as Jordan Catalano in the ABC teen drama My So-Called Life, the actor has made a name for himself as one of the most physically and mentally dedicated talents in the film industry. The L'OFFICIEL Hommes cover star made his film debut in the 1995 drama How to Make an American Quilt before rising as a prominent star with hits like Prefontaine, Requiem for a Dream, Dallas Buyers Club and Suicide Squad. Leto's journey through Hollywood has been both storied and successful, but not without extreme sacrifies and discipline. The accomplished actor is known for his method acting practices, which have included changing his diet or going to other extremes to match the physical description of his character. In celebration of the actor's 49th birthday today, L'OFFICIEL chronicles Leto's most intense physical transformations throughout his film career.
For his starring role as Olympic long-distance runner Steve Prefontaine, Leto trained as a runner for six weeks in addition to adopting Prefontaine's specific posture and running style. "I was in the best shape I've ever been in my life. My knees weren’t used to training like this, and I tore my knee up almost right away and couldn’t run for two and a half weeks," Leto said.
To play heroin addict Harry Goldfarb in this psychological drama, Leto lost 28 pounds by only eating raw vegetables for two months. "I didn't eat meals for weeks," he said. "I just nibbled, and nothing bigger than a little piece, not even a mouthful." The physical and psychological effects of such a lifestyle were extremely difficult. Leto's bone marrow dropped 400 points, his liver was damaged, and he sufferred from hallucinations due to fasting. When filming wrapped, Leto moved to Portugal for several months where he lived in a monastery and worked on gaining his weight back.
Leto gained nearly 70 pounds to portray Mark David Chapman, the man who assasinated John Lennon, in Chapter 27. His diet consisted of pizza, pasta, and melted Häagen-Dazs ice cream mixed with olive oil and soy sauce. As a result, the actor sufferred from gout. "Towards the end of the shoot, one of the glaring issues was the pain I had with my feet," he said. "I couldn't walk for long distances. I had a wheelchair because it was so painful. My body was in shock from the amount of weight I gained.”
Leto won a 2014 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club. To play the character, a trans woman with HIV, Leto reached a weight of 114 pounds and shaved/waxed every hair from his body, including his eyebrows.
Leto stars as Michael Morbius in this upcoming superhero film based on the Marvel character of the same name. Morbius suffers from a rare blood disease, and his attempts to cure himself result in vampirism. He experiences all the superhuman traits of a vampire without the traditional weaknesses. While it's unknown how much weight Leto gained for this role, it's clear that he followed a strict workout regimen to obtain the bulk of a superhero.
