Jared Leto
Biography
Life Story
Jared Leto is a very familiar face in recent film history. Although he has always been the lead vocals, rhythm guitar, and songwriter for American band Thirty Seconds to Mars, Leto is an accomplished actor merited by the numerous, challenging projects he has taken in his life. He is known to be selective about his film roles.
Jared Leto was born in Bossier City, Louisiana, to Constance "Connie" (Metrejon) and Anthony L. "Tony" Bryant. The surname "Leto" is from his stepfather. His ancestry includes English, Cajun (French), as well as Irish, German, and Scottish. Jared and his family traveled across the United States throughout his childhood, living in such states as Wyoming, Virginia and Colorado. Leto would continue this trend when he initially dropped a study of painting at Philadelphia's University of the Arts in favor of a focus on acting at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.
In 1992, Leto moved to Los Angeles to pursue a musical career, intending to take acting roles on the side. Leto's first appearances on screen were guest appearances on the short-lived television shows Camp Wilder (1992), Almost Home (1993) and Rebel Highway (1994). However, his next role would change everything for Leto. While searching for film roles, he was cast in the show, My So-Called Life (1994) (TV Series 1994-1995). Leto's character was "Jordan Catalano", the handsome, dyslexic slacker, the main love interest of "Angela" (played by Claire Danes). Leto contributed to the soundtrack of the film, and so impressed the producers initially that he was soon a regular on the show until its end.
Elsewhere, Leto began taking film roles. His first theatrically released film was the ensemble piece, How to Make an American Quilt (1995), based on a novel of the same name and starring renowned actresses Winona Ryder, Anne Bancroft, Ellen Burstyn, Jean Simmons and Alfre Woodard. The film was a modest success and, while Leto's next film, The Last of the High Kings (1996), was a failure, Leto secured his first leading role in Prefontaine (1997), based on long-distance runner Steven Prefontaine. The film was a financial flop, but was praised by critics, notably Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert. He also took a supporting role in the action thriller, Switchback (1997), which starred Dennis Quaid, but the film was another failure.
Family
No info available
Trivia
Bartholomew Cubbins is his pseudonym with which he signs the videos/films he directs (including most of his band 30 Seconds to Mars's video clips starting with "The Kill").
Chosen by "People" magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. [1997]
Chosen as one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People. [1996]
Older brother of Shannon Leto.
His hobbies include snowboarding, skateboarding, hiking, writing songs, reading, and painting.
Had a dog named Judas who died in May 2007.
Is in a band called Thirty Seconds to Mars with his brother Shannon Leto and Tomo Milicevic. The band has four albums out; their self-titled debut album, their second album "A Beautiful Lie", their third "This is War" and their most recent "Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams".
While preparing for his role as a heroin addict in the movie Requiem for a Dream (2000), Jared lost 28 pounds, starved himself and denied himself the pleasure of then-fiancée Cameron Diaz's bed for two months. Leto admits that playing the part of Harry Goldfarb was "sadomasochistic... the hardest thing I've done".
Attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
In many of his movies, he is disfigured in some way. In Requiem for a Dream (2000), his arm becomes infected and is amputated. In Fight Club (1999), his face is beaten beyond recognition. In Panic Room (2002), he is badly burned. In American Psycho (2000), he is brutally murdered with an ax and, in Lord of War (2005), he is shot several times in the chest.
Personal Quotes
"I don't think Requiem for a Dream (2000) is for children, but I think if you went home and looked at the video games that your kids are playing, you'd be much more shocked." - Mr. Showbiz, November 2000.
All those reports that I sleep in my closet. I don't know how people get that. People are so obsessed with what you do at home.
I could care less about anybody knowing who I am, but I realize this is part of the game. Maybe if I really hated this whole public thing, I would go do plays in Hoboken.
I was never interested in 'Teen Beat' like roles. I just wanted to work.
I was raised around a lot of artists, musicians, photographers, painters and people that were in theater. Just having the art-communal hippie experience as a child, there wasn't a clear line that was drawn. We celebrated creative experience and creative expression. We didn't try and curtail it and stunt any of that kind of growth.
Teens are always shown as one dimensional. They're stereotyped. When I was in high school, I cared about more than getting a date or making the team.
I never look at myself as a closet actor wanting to make music or a closet musician wanting to act -- I'm very proud to do both and I don't put one above the other, I'm very grateful and excited by both opportunities -- it's really a unique opportunity to do both.
(On living in Haiti) I was 12. It's the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. It was horrible to see people living in the street, in shacks, and bathing in sewer water and drinking bad water and begging and starving. It was unforgettable.
(2002, on his wild youth) I stole a lot when I was a kid, but I wouldn't steal one candy; I'd take the whole carton. I also used to like to break into other people's houses and sit in their rooms. I found it very comforting to be in someone's empty house.
(2002, on making Prefontaine (1997)) "Pre" was my first major part and I was pretty much operating under the assumption that I was going after the Olympics. [Laughs] I was so gung-ho and trying to do everything I could to be this guy. Plus, Prefontaine's family was around often, so it was a moving experience.
(2002, on what would surprise people the most about himself) Messing with computer hardware. I take computers practically apart and put them back together. I have a supercomputer I built over the years out of different computers.
(2002, on auditioning as a newbie actor in Hollywood) It was challenging and nerve-racking. I remember hiding behind an overturned desk, shooting imaginary guns at people. One time, I stopped and said, "I can't do this. I feel like I'm in a bad high school play. I'm sorry I'm wasting your time, but I've got to go."
(On getting back to normal after the weight loss needed for Requiem for a Dream (2000)) It was difficult. I walked around New York City for a while. Ultimately, I went to Portugal and stayed in this old monastery for weeks and ate fish and potatoes.
(On losing the weight for Requiem for a Dream (2000)) I didn't eat. I'd have broccoli, cucumber, but just a few bites of little things, never more. It was the hardest thing I've ever done to myself, willingly. It was really painful starting to eat again after that. I was filled with a lot of guilt. It can be an addiction to not eat when you make such a strong commitment to that. I heard this story about an English woman who was in a sailboat race for months around the world. At the end of the trip, she said it was so hard to step off the boat. She wanted to go back and do it again, and that's how I felt with "Requiem". I was just bawling uncontrollably the last few days of shooting. I'd look at Darren Aronofsky and start crying. But there were moments of such reward.
