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.
Sujet: Jared Leto – Interview dans Twój Styl 
mais si mais si , tu es une Barbie, enfin on devrait sûrement dire Ken (vu que c'est ÇA la version mâle de Barbie chéri!!) mais vu les excentricités capillaires et vestimentaires, je crois que Barbie c'est bien!!!! 
