JARED LETO (U.S., 1971): ACTOR AND MUSICIAN

 

 

 

Jared Joseph Leto (born December 26, 1971 in Bossier City, Louisiana, U.S.) is an American actor and musician.

Known for his method acting in a variety of roles, he has received numerous accolades over a career spanning three decades, including an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Golden Globe Award. Additionally, he is recognised for his musicianship and eccentric stage persona as a member of the rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars.

After starting his career on the television series My So-Called Life (1994).

Leto made his film debut in How to Make an American Quilt (1995) and gained critical attention for his performance in Prefontaine (1997). After supporting roles in The Thin Red Line (1998) (it has a post in my blog), Fight Club (1999), Girl, Interrupted (1999) and American Psycho (2000), he received praise for his lead role as a drug addict in Requiem for a Dream (2000).

He then began focusing increasingly on music.

Returning to acting with Panic Room (2002) (a very good thriller film for young people), Alexander (2004), Lord of War (2005), Chapter 27 (2007), and Mr. Nobody (2009).

His performance as a trans woman in Dallas Buyers Club (2013) earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He has since starred in Suicide Squad (2016), Blade Runner 2049 (2017) (it has a post in my blog), The Little Things (2021), and House of Gucci (2021), of which the latter two earned him nominations for a Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Award.

Leto is the lead vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and main songwriter for Thirty Seconds to Mars, a band he formed in 1998 with his older brother Shannon Leto. Its debut album, 30 Seconds to Mars (2002), was released to positive reviews but to limited commercial success. Its second album, A Beautiful Lie (2005), pushed the band into the public eye and the next releases, This Is War (2009) and Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams (2013), received further critical and commercial success. They were followed by America (2018) and It's the End of the World but It's a Beautiful Day (2023), which both polarized critics upon release. The band has sold over 15 million albums worldwide.