A bulked-up Jared Leto gets in character on the New York City set of Chapter 27 on Tuesday. The actor – toting a copy of Catcher in the Rye and John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Double Fantasy album, stars as Lennon's killer, Mark David Chapman.


Oh boy!

Here's the before/after shot in case you don't know who he is.

hes so hott--thinner that is

Does this mean he's off the junk? 'cause I vote him the actor most in need of a visit to rehab (and there's some stiff competition out there!)

Wow. Guess he felt this was one of those once in a lifetime roles and decided to really get into character. Hope he does ok with the weight loss afterwards.

I thought the thin picture was recent though. (Oh, and can I just say one thing about that: HOT!!!). Could he be in a fat suit? I don't think his face would blow up like that would it?

I think it's makeup and a costume. I mean, I don't think he could really pull off a Bridget Jones/Renee Zellwegger type feat here.

At least, I'm hoping it's a costume...cause if it isn't, he's going to be hitting that blow pretty hard when filming has wrapped.

He probably wants an Oscar too...

I thought I saw him recently on some entertainment show & he didn't look heavy so maybe it is a suit & make-up? Or did he actually gain weight for the role or a combination of both?

Damn he sure was hot in Alexander...

Update:

Ah. Jared and Lindsay Lohan opt for a quick exit out the back door at The Ivy.

He has really transformed himself into the character he's playing! I heard they shot scenes where John Lennon used to live & it upset Yoko.

I live near the Dakota and they have been filming all week. No sightings yet! Yoko tried to ban them from filming there but found out she can't (they got a permit from the city).

I refuse to see this movie!

Yeah, I'm skipping this load of crap as well.

Movie about John Lennon...I'll be in the front row, tho'....

Just saw Lord of War, he was hot in that movie too.




LETO TO LAND ROLE ON DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES?
contactmusic.com

Actor JARED LETO is in talks with producers to guest star on hit TV show DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES as EVA LONGORIA's hunky love interest. The actor will reportedly play a grocery store clerk who falls for Longoria's character GABRIELLE. A US ABC network source tells US tabloid the Star, "When they were brainstorming about actors, they kept coming back to Jared's name... It's a really juicy role!" The actor recently finished filming CHAPTER 27 and gained 50 pounds (23 kilograms) for the movie, in which he plays JOHN LENNON's killer, MARK DAVID CHAPMAN. The REQUIEM FOR A DREAM star has already started getting back in shape for his steamy scenes on the show.
17/03/2006 03:05

Here's a recent pic of him, he's loosing the weight pretty fast.

Guess Lindsay's drug diet really does work

I'm sorry, but I've always thought of Jared as what we used to call a "trinket" in high school: cute, but useless. And anyone his age that would even breathe the same air as La Lohan is freakin' sick. He's not just a trinket, he's a walmart trinket.

I wouldn't kick this trinket out of bed

He's still loosing the weight...

My 14 year old daughter called me at work screaming the other day. Once I got her calmed down she told me she was watching a video and thought the lead singer was hot. Then she thought he looked familiar. She looked up the band online and discovered it was Jared Leto! LOL! She knew I loved him in My So Called Life, but the funny thing is she never thought he was hot until she saw this video, lolol! Now she knows mom has good taste in men. Of course she had to get on iTunes and buy the cd.

I used to love him soo much in My So-Called Life (I have the DVDs so I can relive it any time I want... )

was it any good? I keep meaning to check out his music...
I would LOVE to see him live onstage... junkie or not, the boy is gorgeous!!

I haven't listened to it yet, but I'll let you know.

I want the DVD's of My So Called Live, but they're hard to find.

Extremely. I would love to get it on w/ him and Joaquin P. They both have those amazing eyes.

If you want, you can email me at mrandmrsearle@gmail.com and I could get you copies. I havn't tried to copy those before, but I'm sure it will work...

Leto sees "The Shining" in new Mars video

Jared Leto has worked painstakingly to be taken serious as a musician and not just another actor fooling around in a bar band.

His rock group 30 Seconds To Mars has sold a respectable 133,000 copies of its second record, "A Beautiful Lie," via Virgin Records, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and is in the middle of a sold out U.S. club tour.

But no matter how hard he tries, the heartthrob who sent teenage girls' hearts aflutter in the television show "My So-Called Life" and in such films as "Requiem for a Dream," "Fight Club" and "Lord of War" can't seem to leave the cinema world behind.

Leto, who sings, plays guitar and writes the 30 Seconds to Mars songs, will soon release a video for his band's new single, "The Kill," based on Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of the horror masterpiece "The Shining."

"It's a light homage," Leto, 34, told Reuters on Monday during a phone interview en route to a performance in San Diego. "I wanted to show four guys facing their identity. The foundation of this nightmare of isolation, madness and fear was the starting point, but there are some more avenues explored."

Filmed in Toronto, the video, a rough cut of which was provided to Reuters, shows the band spending some winter time in a deserted hotel and is peppered with references to Kubrick's film.

The band is seen skateboarding through meandering hallways and performing at a 1920's period ballroom party. When a member fails to stay away from a forbidden room, he is seduced by a ghostly apparition.

Eventually, the four musicians confront their alter egos as the video explores the idea of duplicity in a perhaps unintended parallel to Leto's double career.

"I'm not as fascinated by these two singular elements, there are other things that I do as well, but there are a lot of interesting parallels you can make regarding self-discovery and identity," he said.

Other actors such as Bruce Willis, Juliette Lewis and Kevin Bacon have tried their hand at music, but never made a sustained commercial impact.

Leto, who sports black painted nails and eyeliner in the video, has forged a contemporary, radio-friendly sound for his band, with strident angst-ridden vocals and cinematic arrangements.

"It's nice to be seen as a legitimate example of how to do things the right way," he said. "If the music is horrible, people won't listen, but if it's good some people will listen and will look beyond the stereotype."

Members of the 30 Seconds to Mars fan club, The Echelon, will get to see the video on the Internet within a week or so, according to Virgin.

Leto, who said he still had 12 pounds left to lose after gaining 62 to play John Lennon's murderer in the upcoming film "Chapter 27," will show a portion of the video during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live on May 2. The full band will perform two songs on the show the next day.

The band will also play Chicago's Lollapalooza festival in August.

Reuters/VNU

Yes. I prefer to keep him pristine in my mind as the adorably dim-witted-object-of-lust Jordan Catalano from M.S-C.L. I haven't seen him in anything since. I'd rather not have that delicious memory sullied!

askmen

why is he famous?

Otherwise known for his roles in such films as Fight Club, Girl, Interrupted, Requiem for a Dream, and Alexander, Jared Leto's been pursuing another long-time passion: music. This passion has translated into the formation of 30 Seconds to Mars, a band that -- with two albums, a slew of singles and a national headlining tour -- shows no signs of slowing down.

quick bio

Jared Leto and his brother, Shannon, released 30 Seconds to Mars' eponymous debut album in 2002. Originally intended to be a small side project, the band soon developed a dedicated following, resulting in the release of their second album, A Beautiful Lie (2005), which was recorded in four different countries over the course of three years. Equipped with two new band members -- Matt Wachter (bass) and Tomo Milicevic (guitar) -- and a brand-new record, 30 Seconds to Mars left its "professional opening band" status behind and embarked on its very first national headlining tour. With its loyal fan base of self-proclaimed "Echelons" helping to sell out shows across the U.S., 30 Seconds to Mars has definitely waved goodbye to those good ol' opening act days.





Q-1: You're in the middle of your first headlining tour; how has it been so far?

It's been amazing; virtually every show has been sold out. I mean, a lot of times we say we're doing our first-ever headlining tour, but by no means does that mean that we just started doing this. We were signed in 1998, we just never got around to doing a first official headlining tour. We played plenty of shows by ourselves, but for years we just became something of a professional opening band, which was great because we learned a lot and we played with a lot of bands that we really respect and admire, from Incubus to Audioslave to Jane's Addiction or Lollapalooza, you know, as well as younger bands like The Used. We've had our share of experiences out there with great bands and learned a lot, but it was time to get out there and to do our own thing, to start presenting ourselves in the way we've always wanted to.

Q-2: How would you describe 30 Seconds to Mars live?

Live? Uh, energetic, atmospheric -- the cliché I always use is the energy of the Sex Pistols with the grandiosity of Pink Floyd, anything short of that I'll be happy with, but, you know, one thing I look for in a performance is spontaneity, something exciting. I think a part of what we react to is a kind of mundane state of a lot of this shoe-gazing fashion rock that seems to permeate a lot of the dark corners of the rock world these days. There just seems to be this sense of boredom that some people are interested in for some reason.

I don't know, when I was a kid, when I would see shows that changed my life, I would go to see shows where there was my mother taking us to see classic rock concerts, like Zeppelin, or when I saw Pink Floyd or when I saw, you know, when I was a little older, and I saw Nine Inch Nails, and I saw The Cure -- these shows that would leave a mark on me and become a defining part of the soundtrack of my youth. We think of those things when we're thinking of our performance. I think people expect a certain amount of size and scope and hopefully something a little different than the norm.



Q-3: Have you ever received any feedback from your fans saying that they've had their own life-changing experiences at one of your shows?

That's what's really powerful about music -- people latch onto it in such an emotional way. Of course, we've had everyone from soldiers returning from Iraq saying how much the music meant to them when they were stuck in the middle of the desert and, you know, had nothing but music to escape that nightmare. When you make music, you're in really direct contact with your fans out there, so you hear all kinds of stories.

Q-4: It's a good thing that you get to see a response to what you work so hard for.

Yeah, it is nice. And you always hear the best thing about being on stage is that you get an immediate response from fans every night and you have to change and constantly keep evolving, 'cause you'll get a couple of thousand people who'll tell you very quickly if they don't like what you're doing.

Q-5: Recording this album was more of a collaborative effort with the whole band than the first one. Was this process more challenging for you?

No, not at all. Not much changed. The only thing that changed was that I had other people to contribute in exciting ways and everybody still kind of, you know, encouraged me to do what I do and we all encouraged each other to try to make the best record we could. [Last time] I was playing all the instruments except the drums, and this time we had Matt and Tomo, who contributed in very interesting and unique ways. You know, I'm still writing the songs and nobody tried to change anything that was working so we all helped each other become the band that we always wanted to be.

You know, we have lofty goals, we want to achieve things that are great; mediocrity is not an option for us. We want to reach as far as we can and we set up a high bar for ourselves with this record and we wanted to really, really move past what we did the first time. I believe we did that; we feel very proud about the record that we've made now and it's just incredible to have people responding to it and reacting to it in the way that they are and we're just enjoying the success that we're having. It's wonderful.

Q-6: How did recording A Beautiful Lie in different countries, like South Africa, influence the album's outcome in terms of style and lyrics?

Well, it influenced us in a huge way, and in terms of the record, um, you can't go to these places and not leave unchanged. It's an impossibility. They are such incredibly impactful places and I think they helped inspire a very honest -- a brutally honest -- record that, for us, is something that we're very proud of.

Q-7: Why is using symbols in your lyrics and using iconography in the band's artwork so important to you?

For the same reason that, you know, the United States of America has a flag. Why? You know, for the same reason that we have stars, and there's flags and stripes to represent things. For the same reason you look at a dollar bill and there are olive branches and for the same reason there is... I think that when I approached this sort of thing, I wanted something more than just a collection of 11 songs that we're trying to get on the radio. It's never been about that for us. And I've always been inspired by bands, whether it was when I was kid, Pink Floyd, or as I get older, you know, Nine Inch Nails, and then later Radiohead or Bjork -- bands that are following their own unique voices and the same goes for us. Whether it's in a traditional kind of art way or in an audible way, 30 Seconds to Mars has always been an experience for us that's not just music, there's a design element, there's a chance to, you know... I'm an art school dropout, so for us, it's a chance to really extend that desire to create in a way that's not just making music.

Q-8: Because of the symbolism you use in your songs, they are really open to interpretation. In doing that, are you ever afraid that your original meaning might get masked or distorted?

It doesn't really matter, I mean, it's the thing about music: Music is subjective to everyone's unique experience. You know, like, my bassist, Matt, said before, "'Stairway to Heaven' -- you tell me what that song is about and I'll tell you what it's about." It's something that I think, you know, people put their own lives into and make their own adjustments where needed and I think the incredibly beautiful thing about music is the opportunity that you have for making the soundtrack to your life with an infinite number of possibilities.

Q-9: Have you ever had the chance to hear a fan's interpretation of one of your songs that touched you or impressed you?

Oh yeah. We have a very, very involved fan base; it's like a cross between Grateful Dead without the patchouli and a much, much cleaner smelling group of people, and, uh, David Bowie-esque without the transgender spandex outfit. We have a very, very passionate, dedicated fan base that really is a defining element of who 30 Seconds to Mars is. We have a giant, dysfunctional family out there that is very involved, and we've gotten all kinds of creative interpretations and all kinds of exciting artistic input from those people.

Q-10: You've described each song on the album as a different chapter in a book that makes a complete story when combined with the others. So, if you had to write the dust jacket blurb for your book, what kind of story do you believe A Beautiful Lie is telling?

I would say it's written from the perspective of someone in the crossroads of their life; someone who has to make important decisions, challenging decisions, life-defining decisions, in order to move forward as a human being. If I were in marketing, I would say the story's about love, death, chaos, and ultimately, a very sexual album; you've always gotta throw that in if you're in marketing.[Laughs]

Q-11: You mentioned your influences before, but who do you consider to be your musical peers?

We've toured with a lot of our peers. Like I said before, we've played with everyone from being on Lollapalooza a couple of years ago with Jane's Addiction and Incubus and Queens of the Stone Age -- that was an incredible experience. We've opened up for Audioslave and opened up for newer bands like The Used and My Chemical Romance.

I think, you know, "peers" is a loose term because all of those people are our peers, really. We've learned a lot from a lot of those bands and I have a lot of respect for them. It's nice to finally get to be doing our own national headlining tour, but it's weird because we're always the odd man out. It's always been odd to kind of fit us in, it's like we're a square peg in a round hole sort of thing. 30 Seconds to Mars has always been a little different.

Q-12: So, you're like the kid who sat alone at the lunch table?

[Laughs] Exactly. I think there's a sense of alienation that we felt as a band artistically, not in any pity part sort of way, just like "I wonder who we would fit in with?" -- especially when you think about touring. We tend to march to our drum and we're proud of that.

Q-13: What do you guys have planned for after the tour?

After the tour, we're all gonna check into rehab and fat farms and get back to our normal selves.

Did he really come out yesterday during an AOL chat? I'm not sure if he was kidding or not but he told the interviewer he had an exclusive. When the interviewer asked what he was, he said, he's gay...as a goose.

Now I've heard stories about Jared's sexual orientation for awhile but even if he was being half serious, half joking about this, YEAH for him!!!

Oooh, I'll have to see if I can dig up some more dirt on this.

He was being pretty cheeky in that interview so it's kind of hard to tell.
It was an AOL interview.
http://music.aol.com/artists/aim-celebrity...red-leto-page-2

yeah, i read that part, but i took it as just clamoring for attention.

One of the comments below an AOL blog that ran with that part of the interviews is as below:

http://journals.aol.com/gayesteditorever/W...ing/entries/211


part of the greatness of jared leto is how much he bull****s. constantly. but i can tell you, exclusively that jared is currently dating the director of THE KILL video (you can check it out at their site 30secondstomars.com) bartholomew cubbins.


Another poster says:


it was merely a joke that fell pretty flat.

SO if he is really dating the director of his music video and that person is a guy, then he's at least bi, no?

INDEED. And that's my ultimate test---would I kick [insert name] out of bed?

I think he was just being a joker in the AOL chat interview... a good way to draw attention to the band. But if he was serious... ooh boy... the images that are running through my head right now... I think I'm even more attracted to him than before!

I just went and read the whole interview, and I'd say he just came out. Good for him. Maybe it was getting a little tiresome to have to fake relationships with girls?

According to E! apparently his reps have put everyone straight. This coming from...Ryan Seacrest.

I love it!

Great for him. About time something like this happened! Maybe Jack Twist will decide to come out NOW But there's always the possibility that he was kidding, a bad joke on his part.

No, according to someone on the net E! (I didn't see it) apparently reported (by Seacrest of all people) his reps said it was a joke. Some people are saying it was not even Jared giving the interview but who knows. I don't even know if the E! thing is true.

But there have been Internet rumours about Jared for ages so it'd probably come as no real surprise to anyone who reads the blogs and follows the goss.

Leto Joked About Being Gay


Actor Jared Leto has laughed off reports that he is gay, insisting his comments to a reporter last week were meant as a joke. The Requiem For A Dream star gave an online interview last Friday, where he claimed he was "gay as a goose." The America Online reporter seemed unsure if Leto was kidding or not and revised the question. Leto them compared himself to rock musician Morrissey, another singer known for his vagueness about his sexuality. The star was engaged to Cameron Diaz and has also been linked with Lindsay Lohan and Scarlett Johansson. His publicist, Robin Baum, has dismissed the flurry of media reports that followed his interview insisting, "Jared was kidding."

I saw the end of Jared & his band on Jimmy Kimmel. Strange.

So, misconstrued reporting yet again. Jared Leto hasn't 'laughed off' anything. His rep is the one who has insisted it. He himself (as yet) has said absolutely nothing.

It's no biggie if he does say something himself. But I love it how these mags bend quotes out of context.

people.com
Caught in the Act

Jessica Simpson, getting cozy with Jared Leto at New York City lounge Double Seven. The duo danced to her new song "Public Affair," along with other celeb revelers including Lance Armstrong and John Mayer.

people.com

Jessica Simpson, who will release her new single "Public Affair" on June 27, seems to be engaging in a rather public flirtation with Jared Leto.

"They're an item," a source close to Leto tells PEOPLE in its new issue.

The actor, 34 – who has dated Cameron Diaz and Scarlett Johansson – chatted up Simpson and then scored her number on June 2 at the Los Angeles nightclub Hyde.

Four nights later, Leto partied solo at New York City's club Plumm, then headed to Double Seven, where he met up with Simpson, 25. "They were hanging all over each other," says a witness.

Still, a source close to Simpson tells PEOPLE, "Jessica is not dating anyone," and the singer's rep insists, "She is single." Adds Leto's rep, "There is no truth to these rumors."

But what about Lindsay Lohan, who was linked with Leto, her costar in the upcoming Chapter 27, last year (and who clashed with Simpson in April over the attentions of mutual pal Brett Ratner)? "She's telling friends she's furious," says a source close to the actress. "She feels betrayed by Jared."

Says Lohan's rep, "Lindsay could care less."

Well..If Jessica starts having rapid weight loss...we'll know she's dating Leto. And it's not the Janet Jackson diet.

That this news should come out right before her new single comes out at the end of this month, what a coincidence!!

Jared Leto Rocks Out in New York City!

In total rock-star mode, Jared Leto soars above a sea of adoring fans while performing with his band 30 Seconds to Mars at the Vans Warped tour in Fitchburg, Mass., on Wednesday.

Jared Leto & 30 Seconds To Mars performing at Lollapalooza (08/06/2006)



HWB