Oh, Ew: Jared Leto Chats About the Joker and “No Rules” Method Acting

In a chat with Entertainment Weekly, Jared Leto shared what it was like to bring the Joker to life in Suicide Squad. He said, “You’re kind of walking upon hallowed ground, and it deserves the very best that you can do. It takes over your life and that’s what I needed to do for myself.” Needed to do for yourself? Uh… huh. Okay.

See, here’s the thing: if you’ve been keeping up with any Suicide Squad coverage at all, then you already know that Leto didn’t just bring him to life in the movie, he brought him into the real world as well. His “method acting” involved sending his co-stars weird things in the mail, ranging from a live rat to bullets to a dead hog. Also according to Entertainment Weekly, he offered everyone even more ridiculous things, like “a boxful of nudie mags, a dildo, a switchblade, and a used condom” as wrap presents.

Any other world, actions like those would be considered harassment, or worse yet, a threat. But because he’s playing the Joker, he seemed to have carte blanche to do what he wanted.

Oh, and he recognizes that, too. Of “being in the mindset,” Leto said, “You don’t know what the Joker is going to do next; you never do. It was intoxicating to have no rules.”

Leto talking about “having no rules” sounds wildly gross. There are rules, but I guess if you’re an actor on a job, that doesn’t really apply. It’s important to note that his co-stars enabled him to do these things, and were (allegedly) for the most part fine with what he was doing–that is, aside from Viola Davis. So, one supposes that he had some modicum of permission from them to keep doing these things. Of course, were said permission were to ever be revoked, it’s not hard to imagine he’d keep doing what he’s doing anyway, because hey, no rules, right? He’s the Joker or something, am I correct? Sure.

You can judge Leto’s performance for yourself when Suicide Squad hits theaters on August 5th.

(via io9)

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