Jared Leto talks playing the Joker in David Ayer’s Suicide Squad

By Jesse Giroux

Posted 11 years ago

Jared Leto hasn't talked that much about how he will be portraying The Joker in SUICIDE SQUAD, but during a conversation with Billboard, the actor revealed he's gaining weight in preparation for the role.

I'm trying to gain a lot of weight. It means I have to eat every couple of hours — and I'm terrible at eating a lot.
sponsored content

The Joker has almost always been pretty damn thin in the comics, so I doubt we'll be getting a chunky Joker to match Ben Affleck's bulky Batman. Leto was also apparently eating vegan tacos during the interview (not the fattiest of foods), but I do think it's interesting that Leto is trying to put on some weight for the part. Maybe director David Ayer thinks he's a little too skinny for The Joker?

The DALLAS BUYERS CLUB actor and 30 Seconds to Mars frontman went on to explain what drew him to the role.

The opportunity to take on this nearly Shakespearean character — that's what graphic novels and comic books are becoming, right? [He's] this beautiful disaster of a character — what a big challenge.

I'm pumped to see how Jared Leto will look as the villain in SUICIDE SQUAD, but I also I can't wait to hear his (hopefully creepy as hell) Joker laugh. While I'm not sure if Leto will be able to top the Heath Ledger version from THE DARK KNIGHT, I'm very confident he has what it takes to deliver a fantastic and intense take on the character.

SUICIDE SQUAD will be in theaters on August 5, 2016.

Source: Billboard

Tags: Action, Cara Delevingne, comic book, David Ayer, Jai Courtney, Jared Leto, Justin Marks, Maggie Grace, Suicide Squad, Tom Hardy, Viola Davis, Will Smith

About the Author

Jesse Giroux

2,709 Articles Published

Favorite Movies: American Beauty/Psycho/Splendor/History X, 12 Monkeys, Schindler's List, About Schmidt, Fargo, Blazing read more Saddles, Bringing Out the Dead, Rushmore, Dark City, The Dark Knight, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Funny Games, God Bless America, High Fidelity, Igby Goes Down, L.A. Confidential, Leon, Magnolia, Memento, Shaun of the Dead, Se7en, Reservoir Dogs, Adaptation, There Will be Blood, Happiness, I Heart Huckabees, Grosse Pointe Blank, Frailty, The Vengeance Trilogy, In Bruges, Sunshine, Scanners, Team America, City of God, Four Lions, Requiem for a Dream, The Blues Brothers, The Road, Tae Gook Gi, Children of Men

Likes: Hunter S. Thompson, comics, Doonesbury, anything involving Graham Linehan and Charlie read more Brooker, people having nightmares after I've made them watch Jam, Beck, David Grohl, hard ciders, PT Anderson, Stephen King, Dylan Moran, Big Fat Quiz of the Year, cupcakes, The Boondocks, Andy Kaufman, Bill Murray

The comment section exists to allow readers to discuss the article constructively and respectfully, focused on the topic at hand.

What’s Not Allowed

Abusive language, insults, or harassment toward other users or staff.
Hate speech of any kind is strictly prohibited.
Bickering, bullying, personal attacks, or baiting others to argue
Extended off-topic debates, especially those centered on politics or religion rather than the article topic
No AI content or SPAM