Jared Leto, officially known as Jared Joseph Leto, is an American musician and actor known for his success in multiple careers. This multi-talented star has graced our screens for over three decades now, and the world still can’t seem to get enough of him.
He boasts of an Academy Award as the best supporting actor in the Dallas Buyers Club movie that featured in 2013, and his expansive success in music, being the lead singer and co-founder of the rock band, 30 seconds to Mars, hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Jared’s Upbringing
Leto’s parents separated after he was born and he was brought up by his mother who bestowed the love for arts on her children. Leto would, later on, study painting in Philadelphia at the University of Arts and filmmaking at the New York City School of Visual Arts. On completion, he then moved to Los Angeles in 1992 where he started taking part in several television shows as a guest.
Movies and Artistic Works
One of the early television shows that Leto featured in was Camp Wilder (1992-93) but it wasn’t until 1994, when he featured in a fan-favorite tv series, My So-Called Life, as the slacker heartthrob Jordan Catalano, that he finally had his breakthrough. The series aired in 1994-95.
His debut in film came much later through How to Make an American Quilt (1995) which showed on the big screen. Leto then starred in The Last of the High Kings as an Irish teenager (1996; American title Summer Fling).
He also played a major role in Prefontaine (1997), where he was Steve Prefontaine, the American distance runner, and received a lot of critical praise. Leto also featured in Basil (1998) which was followed by Urban Legend (1998). Terrence Malick also featured Leto in the film The Thin Red Line (1998).
Leto played Angel Face in the classic Fight Club (1999) amongst other major roles in American Psycho (2000) and Girl, Interrupted (1999). The American Psycho by Mary Harron saw Leto work alongside Christian Bale. He also worked with Marlon Wayans, Ellen Burstyn, and Jennifer Connelly in Requiem for a Dream.
It is worth noting that Leto also featured in thrillers such as Highway (2002), Panic Room (2002), Lonely Hearts (2006), and Lord of War (2005).
Dedication to his work
Leto had to abstain from sex and live in the streets of New York with junkies to prepare for the heroin addict role as Harry Goldfarb in the film Requiem for a Dream. The actor also showcased a lot of dedication in Chapter 27 (2007) at John Lennon’s assassin part where he gained 60 pounds just for that part.
Leto gained more recognition as a co-star in Mr. Nobody, a sci-fi drama film released in 2009. After Mr. Nobody, the actor pressed pause on his acting career to dedicate more time to his music.
He later returned in 2013 and secured two awards which were the Academy Award for the best performing actor and the Golden Globe where he was featured as a transgender lady named Rayon. That was in Dallas Buyers Club (2013). For this role, the actor had to lose 30 pounds marking a comeback to his acting career after six years.
Leto was later featured as the villainous Joker in the action-packed superhero film in 2016, suicide squad, alongside Margot Robbie and Will Smith. He also appeared in Blade Runner 2049 (2017) together with Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford.
He would later take up a starring role in The Outsider (2018) a crime drama and he’s set to appear in The Little Things (2021) as a serial killer.
30 Seconds to Mars Band
Jared Leto and his brother Shannon founded this band popularly known as, 30 Seconds to Mars, back in 1998. Leto serves as the lead singer of the band while Shannon is on the drums. Other musicians round out that lineup and join in which is how the band has been operating over the years.
30 Seconds to Mars set a new Guinness World Record in 2011 by performing 300 shows – the longest concert tour done by a rock band globally. The band released a documentary in 2012 named Artifact which talked about their feud. It also covered the $30 million lawsuit with EMI – a record label.
Leto has also tested the production waters, producing the documentary which had the pseudonym “Bartholomew Cubbins”. That was a Dr. Seuss character and Jared still uses that name when directing some of the videos by the band.
In 2013, Leto’s band released Love, Lust, Faith, and Dreams as their fourth album. In the same year, the band would win an MTV Video Music Award for the category best rock video Up in the Air. 30 Seconds to Mars later released their fifth album in 2018 named America.
What Next?
It’s no secret that Jared Leto has in every aspect succeeded in his acting and music journeys. However, it appears that he’s far from hanging his boots. His performances in the upcoming films, Suicide Squad, Morbius, House of Gucci, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League will definitely keep his millions of fans on their feet.
We can’t wait to see what Leto has in store for us, and we wish him the best of luck in his endeavors!
