Jared Leto has always treated acting like an endurance sport. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it gets weird. Lately, he seems a little less frantic about it, but with Tron: Ares on deck, that reputation is coming up again. So here are the roles where he went all-in, pushed boundaries, and occasionally made everyone on set deeply uncomfortable. Consider this the highlight reel of commitment, chaos, and everything in between.
9. Albert - The Little Things
Leto plays Albert Sparma, a grimy, off-kilter repairman who becomes the prime suspect in a 1990s Los Angeles serial killer case. The movie pairs Denzel Washington as a burned-out detective and Rami Malek as his buttoned-up partner, and Leto slots in as the guy who keeps you guessing. No big stunts here; he builds Sparma with twitchy physicality, dark humor, and a slow-burn menace that gets under your skin.
Critics noticed. He picked up Golden Globe and SAG nominations for Supporting Actor, proving he can be unnerving without the carnival of prosthetics. If you want to revisit it, you can rent it on Apple TV+.
8. Ares - Tron: Ares
In Disney's next trip into the Grid, Leto plays Ares, a militarized AI. On set, he reportedly asked people to call him 'Ares' (or sometimes just 'Air'), stayed locked in as the character, and brought a kind of laser-focused intensity that had folks double-checking whether he was joking. The vibe, according to some crew, was a little unsettling in a way that suited the story.
People are already split on it: some think it's Leto doing what Leto does best, others are bracing for Morbius-with-neon. Either way, he's in heavy company — Gillian Anderson, Jeff Bridges, and Greta Lee are along for the ride. Tron: Ares opens in theaters on October 10, 2025. Expect gorgeous images, a lot of tech mystique, and yes, plenty of Leto energy.
7. Niander Wallace - Blade Runner 2049
Leto dialed down the theatrics here and still made a strong impression. As Wallace, the blind, godlike baron of replicant manufacturing, he wore opaque contacts that severely limited his vision. He literally needed handlers to guide him around the set, which added to Wallace's unnerving calm.
'He entered the room, and he could not see at all... It was like seeing Jesus walking into a temple... I was moved to tears. And that was just a camera test!'
- Denis Villeneuve, to WSJ Magazine
'I didn't dive as deep down the rabbit hole as maybe I've done before. I'm crazy, but I'm not insane.'
- Jared Leto, via Independent
It's all in the stillness and control — icy, magnetic, and a little inhuman. You can rent Blade Runner 2049 on Apple TV+.
6. Paolo - House of Gucci
Leto disappears under hours of prosthetics, a padded suit, and a receding hairline to play Paolo Gucci, the family's overlooked eccentric. It took six hours in the chair each morning and roughly an hour to peel it all off at night. He leaned hard into Paolo's performative flair: clashing outfits, big gestures, and even bigger insecurity. He stayed in character, skipped playback monitors, and chased the spirit of a man who wants to be taken seriously but can't get out of his own way.
As he told Screen Daily, he connected with Paolo's hunger to be seen and heard as an artist. Whether you found it electric or excessive, it's the kind of swing you remember. Streaming now on Prime Video.
5. Harry - Requiem for a Dream
Before the Joker headlines, Leto punished himself for Darren Aronofsky's addiction spiral. As Harry, he lost roughly 25 to 30 pounds, lived among New York street life to study routine and behavior, and cut out sex and sugar to feel the deprivation. He says he stayed in accent 24/7. The result: hollow-eyed desperation that feels uncomfortably real.
'I did whatever I thought I could do in order to bring more authenticity to the role... It's a film that demanded that.'
- Jared Leto, to Vulture
He later called it the hardest thing he'd done, and his body paid for it. Requiem for a Dream is streaming on Peacock.
4. Dr. Michael Morbius - Morbius
Yes, the movie became a meme, but the commitment was not. Leto stayed in character on and off camera, using crutches and moving so slowly between setups that production reportedly started wheeling him to the bathroom to save time. It's a level of dedication that makes crews nervous.
'I got scared for Jared. He really commits... I could sense the crew backed off. It was a bit spooky.'
- Director Daniel Espinosa, to Variety
Some thought it tipped from immersive into extra, which is kind of the Leto brand. Morbius is streaming on Prime Video.
3. The Joker - Suicide Squad
Leto went deep for his Joker: researching psychopaths, talking with patients, and keeping distance from his co-stars. Director David Ayer said he basically watched Jared disappear and the Joker show up.
'I kinda had to say goodbye to Jared... there was a point when he went away and was replaced slowly and surely by the Joker.'
- David Ayer, in a BTS feature
Then came the headline-grabbing 'gifts.' Reports circulated that he sent Will Smith bullets and gave Margot Robbie a live rat; there were also claims about a dead hog and other gross-out props. When Entertainment Weekly asked him about stories involving used condoms and anal beads, he pushed back:
'Nothing ever crossed any lines... I'm an artist at the end of the day. If I do something risky and you don't like it, basically, you can kiss my ass.'
- Jared Leto, to Entertainment Weekly
Will Smith later joked that Leto went 'full Joker' and set a serious tone on set. Love the approach or hate it, it kept people talking. Suicide Squad is streaming on HBO Max.
2. Mark David Chapman - Chapter 27
This is the body-horror version of method. To play John Lennon's killer, Leto gained nearly 70 pounds, which reportedly gave him gout and left him needing a wheelchair during filming. The way he bulked up is the part that sticks with you: microwaving pints of ice cream and spiking them with soy sauce and olive oil to pack on weight fast. It's gross. It's effective. It's also a hard watch.
'The script didn't say, "Page 1: You gain 67 pounds"... But as I started to research, I realized the physical representation of this guy had so much to do with who he was.'
- Jared Leto, to the Los Angeles Times
The performance is more disturbing than showy, which fits the subject. Chapter 27 is streaming on Prime Video.
1. Rayon - Dallas Buyers Club
Leto's most celebrated transformation. As Rayon, a transgender woman with AIDS who teams up with Matthew McConaughey's Ron Woodroof, he vanished into the role. He dropped close to 40 pounds, waxed his entire body, and refused to break character for the entire shoot. He met the costume designers as Rayon, wig and heels already on, and built the character from there.
'I stopped counting somewhere between 30 and 40 pounds... If I had more time, I would've kept losing weight.'
- Jared Leto, to Entertainment Weekly
McConaughey has said he addressed him as Rayon off camera too. It paid off: Leto won the Oscar, Golden Globe, and SAG Award for Supporting Actor. It's a staggering performance that toes the line between absolute commitment and self-erasure. You can rent Dallas Buyers Club on Amazon Prime Video.
From weight swings and prosthetics to the kind of on-set behavior that makes crew members stare at the floor, Leto doesn't half-commit. Sometimes it's brilliant. Sometimes it's... a choice. Either way, you can't look away. Which version of Leto stuck with you?