Jared Leto turned down the role of the Joker. Jared Leto on Suicide Squad: "Being around psychopaths was good for me"

magazine Entertainment Weekly Oscar-winning actorJared Leto spoke about how he prepared for the role of the Joker, what inspired him and helped him find new image famous psychopath.

What did you want to do with the Joker image to make it feel original?

We knew we had to introduce something new. It was necessary to do great job to do something different and not go along already known path. And this helped us a lot. But the most fantastic thing about the image of the Joker is that when creating it there are no rules, only instinct works.

What did you do to create this guy? Who did he become for you?

He became a real person. I don't know if "man" is the right word. I think the Joker, like a shaman, lives in two dimensions. This is a very intoxicating role as you can break the rules and challenge both yourself and those around you.

I started by reading and studying the source material. But at some point I realized that I had to stop doing this, since the image of the Joker was rethought many times different people, based on the general spirit of the character. I knew I had to throw away everything I had learned about him and start from scratch. It was a transformative process, a physical transformation.

What exactly did you do?

Many things. It's probably best not to go into this, but for the Joker, violence is a symphony. He takes excessive pleasure in violence and manipulation. I met with doctors, psychiatrists who had dealt with psychopaths and people who had committed terrible crimes, and also spent some time with the criminals themselves,locked up for a long time. I think when you accept a role, any role, you become both a detective and a writer, and for me that's my favorite part of the process of developing and building character. Yes, it's really interesting.

How difficult was it to stay in character during filming?

It was challenging, but fun at the same time. He has a great sense of humor, depending on who you ask.[Laughs]

For example, your partners film set?

Yes, you can ask them about it. But for me, I knew I had to be as immersed as possible. It's not a part-time job, it's exciting. We had a good time with him. I think this was exactly what I needed.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

For a movie role, Jared Leto is ready to do a lot - he can easily get rid of all the hair on his body, gain 30 kg, lose 14 kg and sacrifice his health. However, this time the actor approached the task even more thoroughly and did not leave the image of the Joker even outside the set. The consequences of Leto's crazy preparation for the role of a supervillain were felt by his co-stars.

Followed drug lords on Instagram

According to Suicide Squad director David Ayer, the Joker's tattoos and teeth are another interesting story. Moreover, each tattoo appeared on his body for a specific reason. For the hero to fit into modern reality, Eyre and Leto followed the Instagram accounts of Mexican drug lords.

There they posted photos of girls in bikinis with grenade launchers, huge tigers near private pools and gilded AK-47 next to Gucci bags. This was the world the Joker was supposed to live in, and Leto decided to follow the same lifestyle. And if Heath Ledger's Joker burns a lot of money, then in Leto's version he is more interested in a good and beautiful life.

“Many moments helped create a character with a history and traces of activity in our world. This happened in the Joker's past too. In some versions of the comics, the Joker and Harley Quinn actually owned hyenas,” Eyre noted.

Instilled terror around the clock

Movie sets can be scary enough, but with Leto as the Joker, it was even more sinister. The role of Batman's nemesis is shrouded in many legends, and Ledger made an indelible impression on audiences in this role. Watching a supervillain is fun, but playing one is more exciting.

Scott Eastwood constantly kept his distance from Leto, and Will Smith noted that during six months of continuous filming, he “never saw Jared Leto, because he did not leave the character even after the command “Stop!” Cut!” Leto devoted himself entirely to the game. The director noted that when he walked onto the set, he looked so terrifying that even the birds stopped flying.

Spent some time in a mental hospital

The new Joker's forehead is decorated with a "Damaged" tattoo. And as if to confirm this, Leto spent some time in a psychiatric hospital. There he met with patients who had been undergoing treatment for a long time.

The actor met with people who “committed heinous crimes and have been in the hospital for a long time.” These are the kind of madmen the Joker could choose as his accomplices in Arkham Asylum. In words, such visits may seem like a simple school experiment, but this impression is deceptive.

Spending time with real crazy people and their doctors is not the best useful activity. This may affect state of mind a person and exhausts him very quickly. However, Leto has enough stamina and endurance for such a pastime. “The Joker reaps enormous rewards from violence and manipulation,” he noted.

Hired an assistant

For all the jokes and pranks of the Suicide Squad cast, the actor hired assistants, since he himself distanced himself from any connections with his colleagues. Of course, it wasn't the man in the Panda suit who did all the dirty work for him. Although it could very well be Johnny Frost played by Jim Parrack. Viola Davis, who played Amanda Waller, confirmed that it was Leto’s assistants who implemented all the strange ideas. And often they had to do ridiculous things.

Gave his colleagues a dead pig

IN " Godfather“There are many moments that have already become classics. However, none of them were as memorable as the one when the head of a film studio finds a bloody horse's head in his bed. They say that echoes of that scream can still be heard in Hollywood.

While filming Suicide Squad, Leto decided to improve on this idea. During one of the rehearsals, his assistant placed the head of a dead pig on the table. For something like this, members of the organization PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) could definitely take up arms against him.

Without a doubt, such a strange gesture immediately attracted everyone's attention. According to Davis, he placed the animal's head on the table with due carelessness. This incident occurred at the beginning of filming and was the first in a series of strange behavior. Leto did not comment on such a gift, but admitted that he had fun with these psychological games.

Sent Margot Robbie a live rat as a gift

Before filming Suicide Squad, Jared Leto and Margot Robbie had never worked together. However, this did not stop Leto from building their relationship according to the comics and meeting her on the set in his own style. The relationship between Harley Quinn and the Joker can hardly be called normal, but mutual love to violence and sadism makes their union ideal.

While some members of the cast were having dinner and enjoying drinks, Leto presented his movie lover with a live rat as a “romantic” gift. And along with her love letter. The rodent Venustiano immediately became the team's favorite, and is now rumored to live with Guillermo del Toro in Toronto.

And Will Smith - bullets

Deadshot is the best shooter in the universe DC. And he also received his gift from the Joker - a box of bullets. Given his prowess with rifles and pistols, this choice is not surprising.However, Will Smith is used to separating life and work, and they say he was shocked when this package was delivered to his home in Los Angeles. He had received strange gifts from fans before, but this one was understandably cause for concern.

Viola Davis also received a box of bullets. She noted that she was cautious about meeting Leto after filming ended, when he was no longer in the role of the Joker. “As a child, I got into fights several times. But it scared me a little. I’m almost out of my pepper spray,” she commented. Many media outlets wrote about this case.

Recorded video messages for the film crew

Pre-recorded video messages Jokers are not something new or original. IN " The Dark Knight"they were successfully used to infuriate the Gotham police and call Batman is worried.

But that's not all - you can send similar videos to the cast and crew of the film. During the filming of Suicide Squad, Leto did not participate in general parties, but recorded a special video for them.

According to Adam Beach, who played Slipknot, Leto first appeared as the Joker in the video. He said something like, “Guys, I can’t be with you, but I want to tell you that I work just as hard as you.” Hopefully fans will be able to see the treatment in the Blu-ray version of the film.

Came out as the Joker during a 30 Seconds to Mars concert

In addition to successful film roles and filming in “Dallas Buyers Club”, “Fight Club”, “American Psycho” and “Requiem for a Dream”, since 1998 Jared Leto has been the lead singer of the American rock band 30 Seconds to Mars.

And while preparing for the role of the Joker in 2015, Leto came out in this image in the middle speeches in Novosibirsk. Fans appreciated his neon green hair and other elements of the image, and also heard the signature voice of the supervillain.

Slept in prison

“When you leave, close the door behind you. I'm staying here tonight." This is roughly what Leto could have said to the prison guards where he decided to spend the night. The Joker spent a lot of time behind bars, so when the actor was preparing for the role, he decided to also experience this place.

According to stories, after finishing filming in the prison, Leto asked the director and other members film crew lock him in the basement, hide the keys and leave him alone for the night. Fortunately, the CCTV cameras did not record everything that might have happened in the prison cell.

Responded only to "Mr. Jay"

There are many stories about strange behavior famous actors on the set. It was important for Leto to create an environment that would help him get into the role of the Joker. During filming, he ignored when addressed by his first or last name and responded only to "Mr. J." This immediately solved several problems - he was constantly in character, and other members of the film crew, even during his absence, felt the actor’s presence on the set.

Distanced from the film crew

David Ayer can hardly be called an ordinary director. He served in the US Navy and was a member of the crew of a submarine, which served as the basis for writing the script. war drama"Yu-571".

Before filming began on Suicide Squad, he forced all the actors to fight among themselves. “You learn a lot about a person when you punch them in the face. This helps get rid of a lot of problems,” he noted. Jared Leto did not participate in these hand-to-hand battles, but was in his own closed world.

The actor himself wanted it that way, and Eyre agreed without hesitation. Such isolation was supposed to bring the detachment closer together and turn it into a coherent military unit. In addition, she also added mysticism to Leto's look.

Sent Playboy magazine to Killer Croc

After the actors received the dead pig's head, they immediately sent the gift back and also added their message. According to Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, who played the killer Croc, such a present rallied the team against the Joker.

But for Akinnuoye-Agbaje's gifts didn't end there as he received a set Playboy magazines, covered with an unknown viscous substance. In addition, Leto sent the cast anal beads, which further confirmed the Joker's lack of sense of decency.

And the rest of my colleagues - used condoms

The Suicide Squad cast received another extravagant gift from Leto: used condoms. Screenwriter Danny Bowes called it "a misunderstanding of what characterization is and how it should happen."

It remains a mystery where the actor got them and why he gave them. However, some actors expressed dissatisfaction and spoke out against such actions. So, Rose McGowan on her Facebook advised filing a lawsuit, because in no other area would such behavior be approved.

Viola Davis noted that if her husband saw this gift, Summer would have to answer for it. Most of his colleagues calmly accepted the actor's pranks, and Margot Robbie even expressed delight at what he was doing with his character.

Practiced your laugh in front of everyone

The Joker's laugh is always something special. Before Leto, this image was embodied on screen by Jack Nicholson, Mark Hamill and Heath Ledger. Therefore, he needed to add something new to the gloating and mischief in the supervillain’s voice.

In an attempt to achieve perfection, the actor resorted to complete madness. If you heard a strange and monstrous laugh somewhere on the streets of New York or Toronto between 2014 and 2016, it was most likely Jared Leto.

The actor admitted that he often went out onto the streets of an American city in order to practice Joker's laugh. And the more unexpected and aggressive he got, the better. Leto worked on himself until his voice took over the thoughts of those around him and began to irritate them.

Those fans who have already watched Suicide Squad may have been unpleasantly surprised that the Joker appears in the film for just a couple of minutes. But all the film’s trailers promised something completely different.

This was another result of numerous disagreements between studio bosses and the director that arose during the filming process.

Jared Leto, who embodied the next incarnation of the Joker in the film, complained that many scenes with his participation were not included in the final cut, reports The Hollywood Reporter. The actor also expressed hope that someday “these materials will see the light of day.”

Suicide Squad director and screenwriter David Ayer has also previously been forced to make excuses about the film's failure to live up to expectations.

"Just because some things turned out great doesn't mean they'll make it into the final cut," the director said, adding that he left almost 10 minutes of the film on the cutting room floor.

Excess footage is common when making a major blockbuster. But in in this case Rather, it could be that everyone is trying to put a good face on a bad game.

It's no secret that Suicide Squad was generally well received by audiences. But Western critics spoke quite clearly. The film only has a 27% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But particularly zealous fans have already created a petition online demanding that Rotten Tomatoes be closed for such an unfriendly attitude towards the film.

Insiders say the "uneven" and choppy plot that the film is most often blamed for was the result of the studio and director being unable to agree on what kind of movie they were making. Inconsistency plagued the film at all stages of its creation, the portal writes.

The studio announced the project in 2014. The producers believed that this time was enough to get everything done. As a result, David Ayer wrote the script in just six weeks, and sources say "it was quite a race."

Also, in an attempt to save money, the studio hired a director who had not previously dealt with blockbusters and huge budgets. Apparently, the bosses hoped that Eyre would “figure it out as the play progresses.” We've already seen both successful examples of this approach (Colin Trevorrow's Jurassic World) and catastrophic failures (Josh Trank's Fantastic Four).

"Suicide Squad" was originally conceived as an extremely dark and gritty movie. And the studio - it seemed - also agreed with this vision. But everything changed after the failure of Batman v Superman, which was most often reproached for its brutal seriousness and lack of humor. The producers quickly began re-editing the film with the help of Trailer Park, the company responsible for creating promotional videos for the film. At this time, the director continued to work on the “serious” version of “The Squad,” also changing editors like gloves.

In May, test screenings were held, at which the public was shown a “light” version of the studio and the director’s “heavyweight”. After analyzing the reviews for both options, it turned out that the fun madness is closer to the fans. But reshoots were required huge money and a lot of time, so the director and producers ultimately decided to leave “something in between.” Judging by many reviews, they turned out to be “something average.”

However, the opinions of critics increasingly mean nothing to those who vote with their wallets. So far, the film's collections are far from a failure and are confidently moving towards the top of the box office in many countries.

Jared Leto - famous all over the world American actor, the vocalist of the group 30 STM, the adoration of girls and women of all ages, took part in the film by David Ayer called “Suicide Squad”. The film is based on comic books published by DC. And Jared himself played the role of everyone famous Joker! Others also starred in the film famous actors like: Tom Hardy, Will Smith and world-famous model Cara Delevingne.

When rumors of a new Joker were confirmed, endless debate began on the Internet regarding Jared's participation. Fans of films and comics were divided into two camps - some were glad to see Leto in the film, while others were categorically against it and could not understand why this particular actor was entrusted with such a character.

However, the filmmakers are convinced that everyone will enjoy new Joker. Actor Ryan Gosling was also invited to play the role of the villain, but he refused, arguing that he did not want to sign a long-term contract with the company.

Undoubtedly, the new Joker will be radically different from the one everyone is used to. Jared himself says that he is quite interested in trying himself in such a role. A street rebel, a crazy guy, that’s what the actor himself is. To create his image, most of the details were taken from the comics themselves - green hair, a cheeky grin, silver teeth, rings and an endless number of tattoos on his body. It is possible that such an image will become a new canon and style icon.

It was also easy for Jared to take on the Joker's character. Like the comic book hero, Summer will be crazy, fun, scary, but also attractive at the same time. After all, everyone knows that most often negative heroes With their crazy behavior and appearance, they evoke a storm of emotions and great sympathy among the audience.

Curious: About Shailene Woodley's novels.

The actor himself tried to get as close as possible to his hero. Throughout filming, Jared did not leave the image of the Joker. Some on the set were even frightened, seeing the angry and cocky Jared even outside the frame. He sent strange and terrifying messages to his co-stars, and even sent actress Margot Robbie a live rat.

“Those were crazy days. I was so deeply immersed in this role that it is impossible to describe, but I cannot imagine how it could be done any other way. This was a great opportunity and an invaluable experience for me and I am very happy to have been chosen for this role. It was quite fun playing such a complex psychological role. But on the other hand, it was terrible and painful, as if something living in me had been destroyed,” says the actor.

At one of the concerts, he admitted that he was really looking forward to the premiere of the film and joked that after watching it, he might be isolated from society and locked in a cage. He also thanked all his fans who supported and believed in him during filming.

Interesting: photos of Angelina Jolie's children.

Despite the controversy over the casting, the film promises to be enchanting. According to forecasts, the new Joker will be much crazier and more terrible than the usual one. Jared tried to give it his all. And there is no doubt that he will cope with this task perfectly. He has a considerable number of roles in films: “Alexander”, “Girl, Interrupted”, “Mr. Nobody”, “Dallas Buyers Club”, “Requiem for a Dream” and others. Moreover, Leto is an Oscar and Golden Globe award winner.

24 453

The choice of award-winning actor Jared Leto to play the Joker in the upcoming film Suicide Squad came as a surprise to many. However, given his transformation in the film Dallas Buyers Club, it is difficult to criticize him.

From the moment fate decided to make Leto the new Joker, the actor threw himself into the role, but in an even more intense and slightly shocking way than expected.

Like Heath Ledger, Jared allowed himself to become the Joker, going through many bizarre rituals before filming began.
All of this points to the actor and "Thirty Seconds to Mars" frontman delivering the definitive Joker look, regardless of some controversial cosmetic changes.

But there are also some strange, disturbing and intriguing facts about Jared Leto since Suicide Squad began filming.

8

He doesn't go out of character

According to many of the actors who star with Jared in “Suicide Squad,” he never left his role the entire time. This is normal practice for some actors, but not if it is completely insane and evil character like the Joker.

Jai Courtney (Captain Boomerang) confirmed in a recent interview that once filming began, he never saw Leto outside of his character. This means he gives his all to transform into the iconic Batman villain.

It's not much different from what Heath Ledger did for The Dark Knight, when he locked himself in a hotel room and started journaling about what dastardly things he could come up with for the Joker. Summer, however, spends time between filming with friends and touring with his band, so he hasn't immersed himself in the role as much.

However, the fact that he stays in character on set still shows a pretty extreme level of dedication...

7

He scared Scott Eastwood

Son, Scott Eastwood seems like a pretty tough guy. He just recently started his film career, and “Suicide Squad” could help him in his endeavors (or his last name).
The actor admitted that he was “scared” to approach Jared Leto on set because he stays in character and worries about what will happen if he talks to him.
If someone like Scott Eastwood gets nervous while filming a movie, being around the prince of crime, you can imagine how intimidating he would look on the big screen.

6

He's going to kill the child

One of the more twisted and interesting rumors surrounding the Joker is the fact that this version will have a very history with Batman like a story in comics.
Specifically, this is in relation to Jason Todd, who he fought his way towards with a crowbar, and then left him for dead in a warehouse explosion. It was one of the most disgusting and dark moments in the history of Batman.
There are rumors that the scene will be recreated in Batman v Superman in flashbacks, which would be a hell of a way to introduce Leto as a maniacal bad guy.

Killing a child is certainly a more effective shocking way to introduce us to the Joker than a thematic pencil trick, right?

5

Jared Leto and the rest of the actors needed a doctor on set

There is a theory that Heath Ledger died of an overdose in 2008 due to the fact that he got too into the role of the Joker. Of course, there is no evidence for this, but the theory is indeed based on the fact that getting into character so much is a rather risky way.

Fearing something similar was happening again, Warner Bros. hired a therapist to help the Suicide Squad actors deal with the dark ways of their respective roles. And we have to trust that Summer makes time for at least a few visits.

Adam Beach (Slipknot) revealed this information in a recent interview, adding: “David Ayer wants you to torture yourself. He wants the real thing, and he wants to make sure that at the end of the film, the actors will show up again to work.”

There's a lot of darkness and madness in Suicide Squad, and evidence suggests that Leto/Joker will be at the very center of that darkness.

4

Harley Quinn is offensive

The Joker's relationship with Harley Quinn is always very unusual, be it comics, cartoons or video games.

The movie "Suicide Squad" wants to take an even more disturbing direction, if the film is anything to go by. We see Harley holding a gun to the head of the Joker, who mocked her. The scene took a very dark turn when he roughly threw her to the ground and returned to his car, leaving her lying there.

This dynamic twist will undoubtedly make the Joker even more hated and bring trouble to the DC Cinematic Universe.

3

He sent Margot Robbie a love letter and a rat

A fantastic actress and an absolute beauty, Margot Robbie has been hailed as the ultimate Harley Quinn by comic book fans.
So, how did Jared Leto meet his Suicide Squad costar? Well, he wrote her a love letter (which is nice, if not a little inappropriate) and sent her a gift. However, the letter was written while he was in character as the Joker, and in addition to the letter, the package contained a live rat. It's pretty weird, right?
No one knows how Robbie felt after this, but the rat became an online sensation after the story found its way online, thanks to actor Adam Beach.

At first, the Suicide Squad actors shared custody of the rat, but then gave it to Guillermo del Toro, who was just working on the film Crimson Peak. He spoke about the new pet: “The rat lives with us in Toronto and provides us with a great mood and joy! We renamed him Venustiano.”

Margo should still be grateful that all she got was just a rat...

2

He gave the rest of the actors a pork carcass.

It turns out that Leto sent each of his fellow actors a letter on behalf of his character, as well as a video explaining why and apologizing that he couldn't be around them during the first rehearsals.

He sent Will Smith (Deadshot) a rather ominous gift in the form of some bullets, and gave it to all the other actors who make up the dead pig carcass. Which sounds funny when you think of the Joker, but what a weird way to greet the other actors working on the film?

All of this, of course, is indicative of how Leto is approaching the role. Not every actor uses such methods, and this suggests that Jared Leto's Joker promises to be very unique and very deranged!

1

The film ends with a series of murders

So, all of the above indicates that this version of the Joker is perhaps the most deranged villain in the Batman series to date.
While his exact role in the film is still shrouded in secrecy, it is reported that at Bell Rev Prison, Amanda Waller provided him with information about Batman, as he is the only person who should ever know Gotham City's Dark Knight.
He will stay in his cell most movie, and he thought that his tattoos were actually covering the scars Batman had inflicted on him over many encounters over the years.

However, don't expect the Joker to stay in the cage for long, as one rumor claims he will break out and embark on a vicious and violent path of murder upon his escape.

This is a great way to make sure the Joker leaves a real mark on both Suicide Squad and DC. cinematic universe. Why? Well, this scene is obviously the perfect set-up for Leto to reprise the role in the long rumored Batman solo, which will apparently be directed by Ben Affleck.