10 Best Jared Leto Performances
He's got a reputation for shaking things up on the sets that he works on but he is one of the best!
Jared Leto has been acting in Hollywood since the early '90s, appearing on both television and film. In recent years, his reputation has been somewhat blemished by his incarnation of the Joker in 2016's Suicide Squad. He may have immersed himself in the role but much of this was left on the cutting room floor.
While that may have ended up as a positive outcome, it would not be fair in any way to say that Leto is a bad actor. Quite the contrary, he is an extremely talented one, showing a huge range in the various roles that he has taken on.
From huge blockbusters to smaller independant films, Leto has shown that he is a chameleon when it comes to changing form. His stark appearances in Dallas Buyers Club and Requiem For A Dream are countered by his muscular build in both Fight Club and the aforementioned Suicide Squad.
His method of acting may be unique but it has unarguably led to some of the best performances on film in the last thirty years. This list offers a selection of some of the best that he has had to offer, spread throughout the years that he has been active.
Though not all of the entries here see Leto in a starring role, each of the entries show that he can work wonders with what is given to him. Starting with -
10. My So-Called Life
While the short lived series My So-Called Life is of course not a film, it stands as a fantastic example of Leto's talent, even at a younger age. In the show, he plays Jordan Catalano, the 'bad boy' of the group.
He is depicted primarily as Claire Dane's character Angela Chase's love interest. He is a musician who uses his music to mask his confusion and pain at his undiagnosed learning difficulty (he is later found to be dyslexic).
The show has been heralded as one of the greatest television shows of its time, despite its brevity. With only nineteen episodes produced, and a finale that ended on a cliffhanger, the intention seemed to very much be to bring it back for a second season.
However, the stars of the show were still young and balancing schoolwork with filming. Leto himself was twenty three at the time of filming, while others in the cast were much younger. It was the focus of the first internet fan petition to save the show, though the low ratings prompted ABC to pull the plug.
This would serve to be Leto's first big break in Hollywood, opening the doors for many of the roles to follow. In that same year alone, he appeared in Cool and The Crazy, with Alicia Silverstone.