Let's examine the career and private life of Jared Leto, who appeared before us with his musical works at the beginning of his career, and who also made a name for himself with his acting performances.
His full name is Jared Joseph Leto, he was born on December 26, 1971 in Bossier City, Louisiana. He was born the son of his Cajun mother, Constance Metrejon Leto. Jared uses his stepfather's surname, 'Leto'. Leto and older brother Shannon, whose parents divorced when he was a child, grew up with their mother and maternal grandparents.
Leto and his older brother became interested in art when his mother joined the hippie movement. In addition, they started playing music at an early age, and their first musical instrument was a broken piano. Deciding to focus his education at the private Emerson Preparatory School in Washington, D.C., Leto was mostly interested in the visual arts and continued his education at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He then enrolled at the School of Visual Arts in New York City after he developed an interest in filmmaking. Meanwhile, he wrote and appeared in his own short film "Crying Joy". Furthermore, he also attended Corcoran School of Art and Design.
Wanting to continue his directing career, Leto moved to Los Angeles in 1992. He made his debut in 1994 when she starred opposite Claire Danes in the short-lived but well-reviewed ABC teen drama "My So-Called Life" as his boyfriend Jordan Catalano. That same year, Leto made his television debut with Alicia Silverstone in the TV drama "Cool and the Crazy" written and directed by Ralph Bakshi. His first film role was in the drama film "How to Make an American Quilt" directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse, based on the 1995 novel of the same name. The film received both box office success and critical acclaim.
The following year, he co-starred with Christina Ricci in the comedy-drama film "The Last of the High Kings" (1996), based on the book of the same name. He later appeared in a supporting role in the thriller "Switchback" (1997), written and directed by Jeb Stuart. That same year, he starred in his biopic "Prefontaine" as one of the leading roles as Olympic hopeful Steve Prefontaine. Leto trained for six weeks to prepare for the role and bore a striking resemblance to the real Prefontaine. His performance garnered critical acclaim and was declared her breakthrough role.
Later, he played the lead role of an English aristocrat in the 1998 drama film "Basil". That year, he starred in the horror movie "Urban Legend" as Paul Gardner. The film was poorly received by most critics and was a financial success. He later appeared in a supporting role alongside Sean Penn and Adrien Brody in the war movie "The Thin Red Line" written and directed by Terrence Malick. The film, which received mostly positive reviews, was moderately successful at the box office. Leto received a Satellite Award with the rest of the cast for his performance.
Leto and his brother Shannon formed the rock band "Thirty Seconds to Mars" in 1998 in Los Angeles, California. The band had been working on their first album for several years, with Leto writing most of the songs.
In 1999 Leto starred as in "Black and White" directed by James Toback joined withRobert Downey Jr.. Later, he acted in the psychological drama film "Girl, Interrupted" based on Susanna Kaysen's memoir of the same name. Later, he played Angel Face in the movie "Fight Club" (1999), based on Chuck Palahniuk's novel of the same name and directed by David Fincher.
Leto played Paul Allen in the psychological thriller "American Psycho"(2000), directed by Mary Harron. Leto's performance was well received, even though the film received mixed reviews from audiences and critics. In the same year, he played heroin addict Harry Goldfarb with Ellen Burstyn, Jennifer Connelly and Marlon Wayans in the drama film "Requiem for a Dream", adapted from the novel of the same name and directed by Darren Aronofsky. Leto starved himself for months to prepare for the role and lost 28 kilos to play his heroin addict character realistically. His performance was greatly appreciated by film critics.
Later, he starred in the indie drama "Highway" (2002), opposite Jake Gyllenhaal. Around the same time, Leto focused more on his musical career, working with producers Bob Ezrin and Brian Virtue on the band's debut album, "30 Seconds to Mars", which was released in the United States on August 27, 2002. The album received mostly positive reviews after its release.
That same year, he returned to acting with the role of Junior in the thriller "Panic Room" directed by David Fincher. The film was well received by critics and was a worldwide financial success at the box office. His next film came with the role of Hephaestion in the 2004 biographical historical drama film "Alexander" directed by Oliver Stone. Although the film was critically unsuccessful, it was an international success, with worldwide grossing.
The following year, Leto reprized the role of Vitaly in the political crime thriller "Lord of War" directed by Andrew Niccol, co-starring with Nicolas Cage. The film was both positively received by critics and had moderate financial success. It took two years to record the band's second studio album, "A Beautiful Lie". Released in the United States on August 30, 2005, the album is certified platinum. In addition, the band toured extensively in support of the album.
In 2006, Leto starred alongside Salma Hayek as Fernandez in the neo-noir crime drama "Lonely Hearts", the true story of Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck. Leto's acting was critically acclaimed, although the film received mixed reviews from critics. In the same year, he directed the music video for his band's song "The Kill".
Leto appeared as Mark David Chapman in the 2007 biographical drama film "Chapter 27" written and directed by Jarrett Schaefer. He gained 67 kg for the role of Leto and fell ill with gout due to the sudden weight gain. Leto, who had to use a wheelchair, quickly started a liquid diet after filming. Despite divided critical reviews of the film, Leto's performance was widely praised.
Leto's next short music video was with "A Beautiful Lie" (2008), which he directed under the pseudonym Angakok Panipaq. Upon release, it received widely positive reviews and won several awards, including the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Video. That same year, they released their third studio album, "This Is War", in December 2009. The album received great acclaim and won numerous music awards, entering the top ten on many national album charts.
His next film was the lead role as Nemo Nobody in the 2009 science fiction drama "Mr.Nobody" directed by Jaco Van Dormael. For the role, he had to portray various versions of her character, aged 34 to 118, spending six hours a day on makeup and adopting the voice of an old man. The film received critical acclaim as well as praise for the film's art and Leto's performance. That same year, a large number of extras and surrealist street performers of all kinds took part in the album "Kings and Queens", which is about a critical mass movement founded in Los Angeles at night with forward-thinking and eco-conscious intentions. The short film was positively received and earned four nominations and the Best Rock Video Award at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards.
Leto made his directorial debut with the documentary film "Artifact" in 2012. Premiering at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival, the film won the People's Choice Award for Best Documentary. The critically acclaimed film received a limited theatrical release from November 23, 2013. They released their fourth album "Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams" in May 2013. The album, which received generally positive reviews, entered the top ten in more than fifteen countries.
After a five-year hiatus, he returned to star in the role of transgender Rayon with Matthew McConaughey in the biographical drama film "Dallas Buyers Club" (2013), directed by Jean-Marc Vallée. He lost 30kg for the role, had to shave his eyebrows and wax his whole body. The film received critical acclaim and became a financial success. Additionally, he won various awards including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance.
In 2014 Leto wrote and directed the documentary series "Into the Wild", which tells the story behind the band's "Thirty Seconds to Mars" band's concert tour of the same name, which brought them into arenas around the world and was confirmed by Guinness World Records as the longest running concert tour.
In December of the same year, it was reported that Leto will play the role of the Joker, a super villain in the superhero movie "Suicide Squad" (2016), based on the comic book series of the same name. In addition, Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman and Viola Davis also appeared in the movie. Premiering on August 1, 2016, the movie broke new box office records. Despite this, it received generally negative reviews from critics. Leto received some praise for his performance.
In April 2016, it was announced that Leto will star in the action thriller "The Outsider"(2018), directed by Martin Zandvliet. Released on March 9, 2018, the film received generally negative reviews. In August 2016, Thirty Seconds to Mars announced that they had signed with Interscope Records and were working on new music. That same month, Leto was cast as the villain Niander Wallace in the 2017 sci-fi sequel "Blade Runner 2049". The film received critical acclaim after its release and was considered one of the best films of 2017. He later also appeared in "2036: Nexus Dawn", the short trailer set before "Blade Runner 2049" directed by Luke Scott.
From May to September 2017, Thirty Seconds to Mars embarked on a North American tour with rock bands Muse and PVRIS. In February 2018, the band announced their concert tour "Monolith Tour" and released their fifth album "America" on April 6, 2018. The album received mixed reviews from critics and debuted at number two, making it the group's highest-charting debut. The album was announced with "A Day in the Life of America", the generally acclaimed documentary film directed by Leto.
Leto played the suspected serial killer Albert Sparma in the 2021 crime thriller "The Little Things" directed by John Lee Hancock. He earned a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for his performance. That same year, he played fashion designer and businessman Paolo Gucci in the biographical crime drama film "House of Gucci" directed by Ridley Scott. His performance earned him nominations for a Satellite Award, a Critics' Choice Movie Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award, and garnered critical acclaim.
In 2021, he reprized the role of the Joker in the sequel, "Zack Snyder's Justice League," alongside Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ray Fisher, Henry Cavill, Jason Momoa, and Ezra Miller. The film, which was released on March 18, 2021, was generally praised.
He played Adam Neumann alongside Anne Hathaway in Apple+'s 2022 mini-series "WeCrashed" chronicling the rise and fall of WeWork. He was nominated for an award for Best Actor in a Miniseries, Limited Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television for his performance. In November 2017, Sony Pictures announced that a movie adaptation of "Morbius," a vampire who would become part of Sony's Spider-Man Universe, would be filmed and starring Leto. Released on April 1, 2022, the film was both a critical and commercial failure.
In September 2016, it was announced that Leto will play Andy Warhol in a biopic written by Terence Winter. In February 2017, Leto said he would direct the thriller "77" for Paramount Pictures. In August 2020, it was announced that Leto will play the character of Ares in the third sequel, "Tron: Ares".
On January 28, 2021, it was reported that Leto will appear in the movie "Adrift" directed by Darren Aronofsky. On July 30, 2022, Leto starred in a movie for Disney called "Haunted Mansion" directed by Justin Simien. Starring Leto, LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Dan Levy and Jamie Lee Curtis, the movie is scheduled to be released on July 28, 2023.
On October 6, 2022, it was announced that Leto will play the late Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld in a biopic.
Personal life
He started a relationship with actress Cameron Diaz in 1999. The couple got engaged in 2000 and ended their relationship in 2003. Later, he dated Russian model Valery Kaufman from 2015 to 2022.
Leto founded "The Hive", a social media management and digital marketing company. In 2010, he opened "The One and Only Golden Tickets", a full-service company operating worldwide and managing exclusive services for concerts, festivals and events. In 2013, the company changed its name to "Adventures In Wonderland". In 2011, Leto launched his online platform called "VyRT". In June 2012, the company was honored with the Best Online Concert Experience award at the O Music Awards.
Living a vegan lifestyle, Leto supports animal rights. Also, Leto is a gay rights activist. In addition, Leto is actively involved in various charitable works and supports associations and organizations on children, patients, the environment and many more.