Jared Leto Interview in Twój Styl - Poland
Traslated in english
Who is Jared Leto: more musician or more actor? Recently he gave expressive show in Poland with his band 30 Seconds To Mars. In a bit in the cinemas will be played “Mr. Nobody” where he played the biggest role in his life. What different talents Mr. Leto had, checked in Venice Mariola Wiktor. Are you envy her? It’s understandable.
Fans loves him for his roles in “Requiem for a dream”, “American Psycho”, “Thin red line”. But he put the music on first place. In his band he’s lead singer and guitarist. And lately he refused Clint Eastwood played in his film, because he would resign from tour with band. When actor Elijah Wood criticized his music, Jared got into fight with him. So I just know what I shouldn’t say, when we meet on a balcony of Excelsior hotel in Venice on the occasion of Jaco Van Dormael’s “Mr Nobody’s” premiere. Main character, whose plays Leto, lives in close future and as last mortal man, mention his life, accidents that rule this and relationships with women. In the movie he is 120 years old, in life 38, by the looks- for 25. Slim, athletic, with little windswept hair. He laughs often, energetically gesticulates, jokes. When I ask about tattoo on his hand, he smiles enigmatically. “You want to know too much!”- I hear- “ I say nobody about this.”
Twoj Styl: Reputedly, you became actor… casually. More, in spite of status of celebrity and almost 20-years career, you still don’t know, if you want to practise this job. Right?
Jared Leto: (laugh!) Yes. I know, that it will sound easy weird from almost 40-years-old man’s lips, but I’m still like in…stride. Without professional stabilization. I’m maladjusted outsider. It’s not cricket, that I didn’t want to be an actor. Yes, why not. But from the youngest years of my life I have been interested in music. I have loved coming to rock concerts, imbibed atmosphere, spontaneous reactions of public and musicians. Fell this energy, what making between people.
TS: Who did you listen as teenager?
JL: In high school I was fan of band Rush. I wear croppering haircuts and t-shirts with simulacrum of idols. For had money for concerts, I worked in restaurant’s kitchens, cleared up saloons. I contacted with prostitutes, drug addicts, gunks. I embarked on carefully observe them and sketched them. Calm down, I didn’t go off the rails. Instead of this I was interested in drawing and painting to such an extent, that I started studies on University of Art in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, rather fast I uncovered, that I wouldn’t be next Jackson Pollock.
TS: And then appeared the thoughts about acting.
JL: Not yet! Although my interests ran to pictures. But moving- short films and music videos. In New York I began learn essentials of film and television direction. This work had much in common with music. After all video clip is rhythm, link of dynamic assembling and expressive, throbbing picture. When after years I played on Darren Aronofsky in “Requiem for a dream” I have been blown away of video-cliping assembly, which superbly show paranoid mind-set of characters. Aronofsky himself called it “hip-hop”. I’m sensitive to modality like these as musician, lead singer and guitarist of 30 Seconds To Mars.
TS: We will say about this too. Meanwhile all the time you swing the lead from answer the question, how you became actor.
JL: Because this- like you see- was winding way… While movie’s studies I wrote a screenplay of etude “Crying Joy”. I didn’t have money, then in main characters I casted me and my friends. I discovered then, that body and acting expression is- after music and painting- new way for voice my irrepressible emotions. I came to Los Angeles, enrolled courses of acting and after two years of played a bit-part I received part in MTV’s teenage series “My so-called life”.
TS: And it was breakthrough?
JL: Before I was clueless what popularity is. And suddenly, almost day-to-day I lost anonymity. I couldn’t go shopping in the morning or running with dog without listened screams of admiration and signed no less than a dozen or so autographs. But it’s still nothing… The most idiotically I felt when odd foolish tabloids declared me one of “50 prettiest people”.
TS: What wrong with this? You could be a Hollywood’s lover.
JL: I’m not a male version of Barbie… I probably know what fell actress, who has bigger ambitions than only looks pretty. I see too, how it’s difficult to force from this scheme. Consciousness, that I would be throw into bag with describe “romantic comedies” or “action films”, I would run with gun and, in breaks, I would have fun with girls, is not nice. I think that I would scorn myself as a human and as actor. I doubt that later I want to watching these films without feeling of dissipate myself.
[PHOTO:
MULTITALENTED, AGE GROUP ‘71
Born in Louisiana. He sings, plays on guitar and in movies. Sometimes he’s model and director. Men like him people are called “goodies” but he has complexes about his prettiness. Perhaps because of this he is an ace in rapid losing weight, putting weight and make himself older for roles. He doesn’t have luck in love. His relationships, among other things with Lindsay Lohan, Cameron Diaz, Scarlett Johansson broke up, because actor can’t stood paparazzi who hanged around him and another lover.]
TS: Valuable distance. Where are you have it from?
JL: As a child I traveled so much. Mum, great photographer, got commissions of a photo shoots for the best American magazines. We were among other things in Haiti, Brazil, Alaska, Colorado. We lived in artistic entourage: musicians, painters, people from theatre. It was live out of a suitcase, but at the same time as if in a hippy’s commune, where the most important was creativity and creative freedom. And this values stay for all my life.
TS: But if you decided to label of lover, you would gain bigger fame and money.
JL: If I really be eager on money, I would became stockbroker or man, who revolutionize informatics market. I never work for mammon. Great, if work is passion and if every day you feel, that this evolve you, widen thinking, provoke you into broke your own restrictions, learn something new about yourself and world. However I don’t want to, that my little scornful approach to pop culture and MTV’s series, which have brought me out, obscured fact, that later this fame open many doors for me. Because of it I met directors, about who I can say: It’s honor that he wanted to engage me.
TS: I wonder, if your readiness to defacing yourself, putting on weight and ageing it’s result of revolt against stereotype of pretty Hollywood’s guy, or maybe masochism or unbelief in own acting potential?
JL: You hit! Little of everything. I’m probably not completely normal. I seem that when I physically dedicate to the role, people find this, appreciate, and they look less critically on acting defects. Then it’s kind of assurance. In the same time I know, that this way of making job ruining health. In this sense I’m idiot and masochist. To this day, for example, I have problems with backbone and joints after this, when I tried to slim down 20 kilograms, what I put on weight to role of John Lennon’s murderer in “Chapter 27”.
TS: What diet it was?
JL: Liquid, 10-days. I drank mix of lemon juice thin by water with maple syrup, tossed pepper. I don’t recommend… Effect of this was such weakening, that I couldn’t walk. Even moved by feet pained. I must sat on wheelchair for some days. But by my biggest challenge I regard role of drug’s salesman in “Requiem for a dream”. For be convincing, I really clamed. I spent a week among drug addicts and homeless of New York. I became one of them. I listened their terrifying stories. In my attendance one girl fainted from overdose. One time I was robbed. Other day, odd dirty man in rags hit me in face, I don’t know why.
TS: In “Mr. Nobody” in Jacob Van Dermal you created a role of life.
JL: It’s one of my biggest acting adventures. Just only screenplay is like surrealistic, mad painting. I play old man, last mortal on the Earth, who, close to death, at the same time is last man with possibility of choice his way of life. But viciousness of life bring about this choices are limited because of accident. Then I play a dozen or so variants of resumes, which could be character’s life. Shooting last seven months, nonstop. It was gigantic enterprise, and everyday makeup to 120-years-old-man took up six hours. Dentures of teeth, contacts, laid on false skin and ears, makeup, changes in looks of all body, and learning of moving this… Probably today I wouldn’t have enough strength and bravery to repeat this.
TS: I supposed that this role can’t haven’t influence for life?
JL: I started to look different at meaning of accidents. I became more attentive, conscious of myself and this, that sometimes even little decision can totally change way of events. I know already too, that harm to waste the time to nonsense.
TS: Shortly you will be forty. Don’t you feel, that you missed something, something scooted you?
JL: I probably know what you say about. About I don’t assumed a family? But is concrete time for it? It is known, when must do this?
TS: No. Perhaps no. Isn’t compulsion too…
JL: I was in different relationships, predominantly with actress and, unfortunately, no one survive attempt of time. Of course, is many of reasons, but one always repeated. Increase of paparazzi’ s interest in me and my partner. It’s mean no freedom and intimacy. It disturb me, because normally I’m not very sociable. Besides, I don’t have simply character. When I working, I don’t take care too much about my private life. Of course, I know, I lose at this. Avoid me joys, after which perhaps I will miss. When somebody asked me, what was the most difficult task in “Mr. Nobody” I answered that a part of father. Because I’m inexperience in this matter.
TS: Can I risk statement, that now your family is band 30 Seconds To Mars? You spend together a months on tour in all the world.
JL: Yes, this is my family, but not only in metaphoric sense. After all, drummer is my brother, one year older Shannon. It’s great to traveling with somebody, who you are know through and through. We always can count on each other. We have the same music interests. We love Depeche Mode, Led Zeppelin, The Cure, Pink Floyd. Shannon likes improvise, great showman, hot up climate of concerts. I like, when we immediately see emotions of public.
TS: In front of camera you don’t experience this?
JL: In a movie you’re only piece of machine, and on a stage director of this, what happened there. Energy of public give me a wings. It’s my drug. I don’t feel exhaustion. Of course, situations are different. You experience different performance on Wimble Arena, and totally different when you play in a middle of desert for soldiers in Iraq. When you know, that for this guys this concert is only way of escaping from nightmare, what he survive every day.
TS: You evade fans near the cinema, but willingly meet with fans 30 Seconds To Mars.
JL: Talking with people who feel the music is one, and be the thing of interest tabloids, who hunting for scandals from your private life- it’s second. Besides, overwhelm me, that in Japan or Mexico develop spontaneous groups of fans, who know our songs by heart. We can’t don’t value this. Now we promote “This is war”.
TS: What kind of music do you play? How can you describe this style?
JL: Polka.
TS: Excuse me?
JL: Andy Warhol was right when he said, that tags are good for cons, not for people… But seriously, we lean progressive metal.
TS: Your way to happiness?
JL: I am packing my bag and get away to the Colorado Mountains. Alone. In a serenity I immerse in beauty. I love to be on the edge. Close to the sky.
