Jared Leto Hopes His Joker Might Make Heath Ledger Proud
A lot has been said about Jared Leto’s Joker. We’ve seen glimpses of Leto as the Joker, and have heard about his process from his Suicide Squad co-stars, but what does Leto think of his performance in the DC film?
Well, according to a meme that Leto decided to pass around, he hopes that both Heath Ledger and Jack Nicholson will be proud of his portrayal of the Joker, a role that Nicholson and Ledger made famous when they portrayed the character on separate occasions.
A photo posted by JARED LETO (@jaredleto) on
As for his process of getting into the mindset of someone like the Joker, Leto kept everyone at arm’s length. It’s not often that an actor reveals how they become a character, especially one that’s so complex and deranged as the Joker. So, just to get a hint of what it was like from Leto and his co-star was a treat for fans.
As the Inquisitr reported, Leto told Empire magazine about the difficult task. “There was definitely a period of…detachment. I took a pretty deep dive. But this was a unique opportunity and I couldn’t imagine doing it another way.” He called the time “painful.”
As for Leto’s co-stars, many said that they didn’t get to meet Leto because he was in character the entire time of the shoot. Will Smith in particular said that he met the Joker and not Jared Leto while filming Suicide Squad for six months. According to the actor, he never even exchanged a hello with Leto.
Instead, Leto reveled in the role behind the scenes. It was reported that Leto got gifts for each of his Suicide Squad co-stars, but the gifts were in character. For instance, Leto, or the Joker, gave Margot Robbie, who plays Harley Quinn, a love letter and a black box with a rat inside of it. Since Will Smith plays Deadshot in the movie, the Joker decided to give the actor some bullets.
Jared Leto vows to make Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger “proud” as The Joker https://t.co/UwbrjVXM6t pic.twitter.com/0qAtRny52I
— Huffington Post (@HuffingtonPost) December 1, 2015
Of course, from the very beginning there were naysayers. When Leto’s name was announced, a lot of fans cried foul and said he would never live up to Ledger’s Oscar-winning portrayal of the villain. And then, when images were first released of Leto’s Joker all tatted up, it was even more of a scandal in the DC universe. That said, both Leto and Ledger’s Jokers have something in common. When Ledger’s image was released for the Christopher Nolan film, many fans were adverse to the idea that someone who had such good looks would portray the villain.
As for the reception surrounding Leto’s Joker, some people offered a different outlook and said that the production was going for a modern look with a throwback vibe. Still, many were quick to put Leto down based on the radical change in appearance when compared to Ledger’s joker. Some fans came around to the idea of Leto as the Joker when the trailer was released.
Although Leto isolated himself from his other co-stars, it sounds like he got a little help for the role. Comic book scribe Grant Morrison gave Leto advice, and revealed that Leto’s performance reminds him of rocker Marilyn Manson, which really points to a more modern interpretation of the role.
Do you think Jared Leto will make a good Joker?
[Photo by Warner Bros]
