Fans of theTronfranchise were hit with a bag of mixed emotions recently, as it was announced that a third movie, titledTron: Aries,was finally entering development. While that would have normally been cause for celebration, many were disappointed with the second piece of news that came with it:Jared Letowould be the star.
Jared Leto certainly is a fascinating star, as he is known for his character work in smaller films while also not being afraid of taking on big blockbusters projects. He is an Academy Award-winning actor and also a well-known rock star; that kind of involvement would normally draw excitement for a project likeTron: Aries,but instead, thenews was met with disappointment, mockery, and groans from fans. It is odd to think as just 10 years ago the actors' involvement likely would have generated anticipation. How did Jared Leto go from being an acclaimed Academy Award-winning actor to losing all of his goodwill?
Jared Leto’s Early Success
Leto’s career started off strong, as the young actor was working in critically acclaimed films likeThe Thin Red Line,Fight Club, andGirl Interrupted. 2000 was a breakout year for Leto, as he starred inAmerican PsychoandRequiem for a Dream, two films that gained him a great deal of critical acclaim.Requiem for a Dreamwould mark a turning point for the actor, as he begandeveloping a method acting stylewhere he lost a great deal of weight to play a drug addict. Coupled with the praise the film received, this influenced the rest of his career, as it enforced his idea that the method acting style worked.
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Leto also started to focus on a music career, forming the rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars and releasing their debut album in 2002. The album received acclaim and cemented Leto as both a movie star and a rock star. It was the ideal image for Leto, as he had the reputation of both an acclaimed character actor and a musician, making him a unique performer with an air of coolness to him.
Dallas Buyers Club and Winning an Oscar
Leto continued to work in films with roles in movies likePanic Room,Lord of War, andMr. Nobody. Leto also took some time off from acting and focused on his music career, as Thirty Seconds to Mars released three albums: 2005’sA Beautiful Life, 2008’sThis Is War, and 2013’sLove, Lust, Faith, and Dreams. 2013 would also mark Leto’s most high-profile and critically acclaimed role inDallas Buyers Club. Leto played Rayon, a trans woman with HIV. Leto lost 30 pounds, shaved his body, met with transgender people to study for the role, and refused to break character the entire production. Leto’s performance received near universal acclaim for his performance and the actor went on to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
While Leto’s performance was praised at the time of its release, shortly following his win a greater discussion began about casting non-trans actors in trans roles. Casting a cisgender man to play a trans woman, and giving him an award for acting, has the unintended side effect of enforcing the negative stereotype where people see trans individuals as simple ‘playing’ their gender identity instead of being their truth. Casting a cisgender actor in a trans role also takes the part away from actual trans performers who are already given so few Hollywood roles. Leto’s performance became a major talking point, and how the actor choose to follow up his Academy Award certainly cast a shadow over the win even more.
Terrible Movies and Acting Choices Enforced Leto’s Worst Tendencies
Leto’s first film following his Academy Award win forDallas Buyer’s Clubwas 2016’sSuicide Squad,playing the Joker. Fans were initially excited about the prospect, as the idea of an Academy Award-winning actor stepping into arole made famous by Jack Nicholsonand Heath Ledger, felt like a great pick. Leto brought over his method style of acting toSuicide Squadwith numerous reports from the set of Leto terrorizing his co-stars to get into the mind of the character. By the timeSuicide Squadcame out, all of that method acting had nothing to show for it, as the movie was critically trashed and Leto’s Joker was easily deemed the worst part of the movie by many.
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Leto had a small but pivotal role inBlade Runner 2049, but the actor quickly followed it up with two more misfires. In 2021, he playedPaolo Gucci in Ridley Scott’sHouse of Gucci, where the actor wore pounds of prosthetic makeup and a comically absurd Italian accent that felt like a parody performance in a movie that was playing it straight. Leto then was the lead inMorbius, which was the actor’s attempt at being the lead role in a major superhero franchise. After being delayed two years the movie finally hit theaters and was one of the worst-reviewed superhero movies of all time, a massive box office bomb withridiculous onlineMorbin’memesthat did not translate to the film being reevaluated. Leto has followed his Academy Award with over-the-top performances that feel like the actor showing off rather than trying to give a good performance.
Allegations Against Jared Leto
On top of a mixture of terribly received performances inSuicide Squad,House of Gucci, andMorbius, Leto’s star has faded due to troubling allegations. The actor has been accused of dating many young stars, but beyond that, in 2018, actor Dylan Sprouseaccused Leto of predatory behavior online, sliding into the DM’s of various stars ranging from 18 to 25.The Suicide Squaddirector and nowpresident of DC Studios James Gunnresponded to Sprouse’s tweet, and implied that Leto will flirt with girls younger than 18 in real life.
Allegations against Leto have been documented as far back as 2005 when a report in the New York Post alleged that Leto texted teenagers and seemed to have an attraction to younger girls. In a now-deleted message boardabout sexual allegations against Leto, multiple women posted that Leto took advantage of them when they were underage. Yet despite the multiple allegations against Leto and box office bombs, the actor is still given lead roles in major franchises, and that doesn’t appear to be changing.
