Jared Leto talks about the psychological depths he crawled to when playing The Joker in the upcoming Suicide Squad film…
There’s something about playing The Joker that takes actors to places they never felt possible. It was witnessed in brilliant execution when Heath Ledger pulled off the seminal portrayal of the Crown Prince of Crime in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight but it appears Academy Award winner Jared Leto may have found an even deeper layer to unearth for his part in the upcoming Suicide Squad movie.
In a new interview with Empire Magazine, Leto says he really had to scrape against his own sanity to find the right place where he could possess the most famous sociopathic killer in the history of comics.
Playing the part was actually painful in some ways and Leto felt every minute of it while filming the movie over several months.
“There was definitely a period of… detachment,” Leto said. “I took a pretty deep dive. But this was a unique opportunity and I couldn’t imagine doing it another way. It was fun, playing those psychological games.”
“It was painful, like giving birth out of my prick-hole.”
The graphic explanation should give a little insight into the way Leto played the role and just how seriously he took the part, especially considering he’s the first person to portray The Joker since Ledger passed away in 2008 and posthumously won an Oscar for his work in the role.
There’s not been much released on Leto’s look as the Joker outside of a brief clip in the first trailer and an initial photo released by director David Ayer.
Now thanks to Ayer and Empire Magazine there’s a lot more to look at. Check out these images and don’t forget Suicide Squad opens in theaters on August 5, 2016.
Time for a little thereapy @MargotRobbie @JaredLeto #skwad pic.twitter.com/u1AgFod8K4
— David Ayer (@DavidAyerMovies) October 26, 2015
Say hello to the bad guy. It's @JaredLeto's Joker; our new Suicide Squad issue cover star. pic.twitter.com/3HuKXLGDRD
— Empire Magazine (@empiremagazine) October 26, 2015
Another shocking look at Mr. J @JaredLeto @empiremagazine @WarnerBrosEnt #Skwad pic.twitter.com/lbim3DYrYM
— David Ayer (@DavidAyerMovies) October 27, 2015