Childhood & Early Life
Jared Joseph Leto was born on 26 December 1971, in Louisiana, USA. He had a difficult childhood as his parents divorced when he was very young. He was brought up by his mother Constance. The family moved frequently in search of better job opportunities for Constance.
He attended ‘Flint Hill School’ and later went to ‘Emerson Preparatory School’ from where he graduated in 1989.
He first enrolled at ‘Philadelphia’s University of the Arts.’ He later transferred to New York City’s ‘School of Visual Arts’ after discovering his passion for acting.
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Career
He moved to Los Angeles in 1992 to pursue his career; he was looking for opportunities in both music and acting. The same year, he landed his first role in the television show ‘Camp Wilder.’
He played ‘Jordan Catalano’ in the teen drama television series ‘My So-Called Life’ in 1994-95. His portrayal of ‘Catalano,’ a rebellious teen with an undiagnosed learning disability, got him noticed.
In 1995, he landed a small role in the drama film ‘How to Make an American Quilt.’
In 1996, he played the lead role in the film ‘The Last of the High Kings,’ which was a coming-of-age movie based on the experiences of a group of teenagers.
In 1998, he formed a rock band called ‘30 Seconds to Mars’ along with his brother Shannon Leto, and recruited a few instrumentalists to complete the lineup. He served as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the band.
In the 1999 drama film ‘Girl, Interrupted,’ he played the character of ‘Toby Jacobs’ opposite Winona Ryder. His co-stars in the movie included big names like Angelina Jolie and Brittany Murphy.
His big breakthrough in Hollywood came in 2000 when he played drug addict ‘Harry Goldfarb’ in the drama film ‘Requiem for a Dream.’ He was nominated for several awards for this role.
The band '30 Seconds to Mars' released their self-titled debut album in 2002. It was a concept album focusing on human struggles. The album received positive reviews from critics.
'30 Seconds to Mars' released their second album ‘A Beautiful Lie’ in 2005. This album, which was considerably different from its predecessor, spawned three hit singles.
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His portrayal of ‘Mark David Chapman’ in the biographical film ‘Chapter 27’ (2007), which depicted the murder of John Lennon, became one of his most famous movie roles. The film attempted to explore the killer’s psyche.
He starred in the 2009 science fiction drama film ‘Mr. Nobody.’ He played ‘Nemo Nobody,’ the last mortal on Earth, who at the age of 118 narrates the important events of his life.
The album ‘This is War’ was released by the band in 2009. It peaked at number 18 on ‘Billboard 200.’ The band members embarked on an extended worldwide tour to promote the album.
The band’s next album ‘Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams’ released in 2013. It was a concept album which had four segments. It peaked at number six on ‘Billboard 200.’
In 2013, Jared portrayed the character of a transgender woman named ‘Rayon’ in the biographical drama movie ‘Dallas Buyers Club.’ The character earned him several accolades and nominations from all around the world.
He was seen as the ‘Joker’ in the 2016 super-hero film ‘Suicide Squad.’ He appeared alongside an ensemble cast which included Will Smith and Margot Robbie.
In 2017, he appeared as the lead in the neo-noir science fiction film ‘2036: Nexus Dawn.’ He then appeared in ‘Blade Runner 2049’ as the main antagonist.
In 2018, ‘30 Seconds to Mars’ released their fifth studio album ‘America.’ The album promotes and experiments with electronic and art pop, and opened at number two on ‘Billboard 200.’ The same year, he was also seen as the lead in the Japanese-American crime drama thriller ‘The Outsider.’
In 2018, he was cast to play the titular role of ‘Dr. Michael Morbius’ in the superhero film ‘Morbius.’ The following year, he became part of the crime thriller film ‘The Little Things.’
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Major Works
The actor is well-known for his versatility; he has played a variety of roles, such as a drug addict, a 118-year-old man, and a mentally unstable killer.
His role as ‘Rayon,’ a transgender woman, in the biographical drama film ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ earned him accolades. He was also praised by the critics, and received several awards and nominations.
As a musician, he formed the band '30 Seconds to Mars' which went on to release many albums. It sold over 15 million copies of its albums as of 2014.
Awards & Achievements
He won the ‘Zurich Film Festival Award’ for ‘Best Performance’ for his portrayal of ‘Mark David Chapman’ in ‘Chapter 27’ in 2007.
He was honored with the ‘Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival Award’ for ‘Best Performance’ for playing ‘Nemo Nobody,’ a 118-year-old man, in the 2009 film ‘Mr. Nobody.’
He has also won several ‘MTV Video Music Awards’ for directing the music videos of the singles released by the band ‘30 Seconds to Mars.’
He won the ‘Academy Award’ for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ for his portrayal of ‘Rayon’ in the movie ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ in 2014. The same year, he also won the ‘Golden Globe’ under the same category for his role.
