Jared Leto

Interview By: ZakSantucci
ZakSantucci@TheCinemaSource.com

Jared Leto has been a major player in Hollywood since playing Claire Danes‘ dopey love interest in My So-called Life. Since then he has had small parts in the controversial, yet well-received movies Fight Club and American Psycho, in addition to the lead in the acclaimed Requiem for a Dream. As a result of this eclectic taste in movies, fans want to see him more. Playing a major role in a big budget blockbuster like Alexander is a step to his well-deserved A-list stardom. However, it wasn’t always easy.

When we got a chance to sit down and talk with Jared, he talked about being away from the United States for so long to film the movie. He mentioned that all the actors were getting a bit resentful because of missing their friends, family, and even dogs. He was also just away from the world: “What’s interesting is when I did Alexander I turned off my phone, I didn’t watch tv, I stayed away from pop culture and really embraced Morocco. You miss an entire section of pop culture and it’s funny coming back… It’s kinda exciting in a way to come back and see all these changes; to catch up.”

Now since he is playing the other half to the controversial relationship that everyone’s talking about, it wasn’t possible to leave out Haphaeston and Alexander’s affiliation. “Haphaeston became his most trusted general, his closest friend, and a fierce warrior in his own right for Alexander and his campaign. He was very important to Alexander’s success.” Jared Leto describes the movie as a “love story” and although it’s not the central theme of the movie, it is what drives the characters. Despite all this hooplah about Haphaeston, he was also important as a real historical figure. “He was politically and psychologically a master of behavior. He was incredibly

intuitive about people; he was a great listener. All of those things made him a great advisor to Alexander. He knew when and what to say to Alexander, as close friends do.” In conquering the world and implementing their idealist fantasy, Leto notes, “they dreamed together.”

One of my favorite scenes in the movie was the first fight scene in the desert. Jared Leto recounts what
it was like filming it: “I never realized the sound that a couple of thousand feet make on the desert
floor. And the chanting, the yelling; It’s horrifying, it really is. I mean if they were coming for you and ready to gut you, rape your wife, kill your children… It’s crazy.” Of filming the action sequences, he notes, “I’m really surprised, and I’m totally serious, I’m really surprised that nobody died on the movie. Everybody got hurt.” During the interview, Leto mentioned multiple stuntmen breaking arms, ribs, and the like. The horses and elephants added even more to the danger.

Oliver Stone being probably the ultimate director he has worked with and on a movie with the buzz of Alexander it’s hard to not ask about working with Stone. “On one hand he’s out of his
fucking mind, and on the other hand he’s just this beautiful artist. He’s like Beethoven or Van Gogh or
something.” Leto also mentioned how they were told to read the language of the characters and classics like Homer and Aeschylus. Also he mentioned using his accent the whole time filming was going on. Oliver
Stone created a very genuine experience for the movie.

If there’s any question to why Leto doesn’t work enough, it’s primarily because he doesn’t want to.
“I’m picky. I want to do great things; I want to be proud of what I do. It’s easy to find excuses to go
to work when

there’s not an abundance of quality things out there.” Which may explain while he gets to
work with David Fincher, Darren Aronofsky, Fincher again, and most recently the likes of Oliver Stone “I’ve been spoiled rotten.”