Random Most Obnoxious Things Jared Leto Did When He Played Jok (12 items)

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  (#1) He Mailed Unwrapped Condoms To His Co-Stars

  The Method: Mailed unwrapped - but, contrary to rumor, not used - condoms to the actors playing the Suicide Squad.

  The Madness: Did you not read that first line?! What the hell does this have to do with the Joker? The rumor took on a life of its own, with Leto himself joking that the rubbers were used. They weren't, as director David Ayer explained to Rolling Stone: "Look, they weren't used condoms.... Let's be real here. They're removed from their packages, but it wasn't actually used. And, of course, I was mortified. Like, 'Jared, put that stuff away - get that out of here, what are you doing?'"

  But Maybe: When asked, Leto said, "I did a lot of things to create a dynamic to create an element of surprise, a spontaneity and to really break down any kind of walls that may be there." Yes, "walls," like the kind of walls established by Human Resources to avoid harassment allegations. (Or maybe your workplace has different Secret Santa traditions than everyone else's.)
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  (#2) He Delivered A Pig Cadaver During Rehearsal

  The Method: Interrupting a rehearsal with a videotaped message and a dead pig.

  The Madness: Much like the Joker would do (really?), Leto used production assistants on set to send dead farm animals to the nice men and women of the Suicide Squad (who are just playing bad guys).

  But Maybe: Actually, several the actors said this kind of worked and really united the cast in an "us against him" sort of way. If this shows in the final product, Leto's approach will have paid off.
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  (#3) Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje Got 'Sticky' Playboys From Leto

  The Method: Sent mysteriously sticky copies of Playboy to Killer Croc actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje.

  The Madness: It's to be inferred here that the Joker "took himself to dinner" while perusing the contents of Hugh Hefner's publication... and then sent it to an actual person who isn't really a DC villain.

  But Maybe: Maybe Killer Croc gets his hands on Joker and reenacts that scene from Fight Club when Edward Norton wants to destroy something beautiful.
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  (#4) He Mailed Margot Robbie A Live Rat

  The Method: Leto had a rat delivered to Harley Quinn actress Margot Robbie. 

  The Madness: Any fan knows the Joker and Harley's relationship is messed up, but does any actress deserve to have her more highly paid male co-stars sending her rodents?

  But Maybe: These two characters are twisted, with Quinn torn between abject worship and justified disgust. Opening a package with a rat inside might just help convey the gruesome, contradictory push and pull between Mr. J and Miss Q.
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  (#5) He Ordered His Henchman Co-Stars Around

  The Method: Leto ordered actors like Jim Parrack, who played Joker lackey Johnny Frost, to do things like spray paint some roses black, gather a bunch of nine-inch nails, and handle dead animals.

  The Madness: These guys are professional actors with their own ways of preparing for a role that probably doesn't involve indulging Leto's method acting.

  But Maybe: It could've built up a stronger bond between Leto and the would-be henchmen. Or maybe it reminded them of the pecking order and goosed their performances with some legitimate annoyance at the actor's antics.
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  (#6) He Subjected Everyone To His Bizarre Antics - Except For Viola Davis

  The Method: Mail crazy, inappropriate items to the cast (except Viola Davis).

  The Madness: Make all your co-workers hate you, much like they would hate the Joker (except Viola Davis).

  But Maybe: ....Maybe Jared Leto knew well enough not to screw with Davis. When the Oscar winner was asked if she was the lucky recipient of Jared Leto's "craft," the actress said she was not. In fact, she added, "or else I would have gotten my husband, who was called ‘headache ball’ back in the day when he played football. And I would have said, 'Take care of The Joker.'"
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  (#7) He Insisted On Being Called 'Mr. J'

  The Method: According to producer Charles Roven, Leto made all the assistant directors on set call him "Mr. J."

  The Madness: Giving yourself a nickname is an annoying thing to do even if you aren't in 30 Seconds to Mars.

  But Maybe: Maybe this was constant reminder that kept Leto's brain in the game to give audiences a memorable Joker. And maybe the use of Harley Quinn's nickname for Joker on Batman: The Animated Series simply signals the influence of Mark Hamill's beloved take on the character.

   
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  (#8) He Used An Adolescent Anatomical Analogy To Describe His 'Creative Process'

  The Method: Asked about his process, Leto said, "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. It was fun, playing those psychological games. But at the same time it was very painful, like giving birth out of my pr*ck hole."

  The Madness: Can't really blame the Joker for this one. Leto is just obnoxious. Who even says "pr*ck hole"?

  But Maybe: Leto's antics clearly got the attention the actor was looking for, but it wound up turning many audiences against him, meaning for once people actually disliked the Joker instead of tacitly cheering him on.
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  (#9) He Got Into Character By Consulting With Shamans

  The Method: Because he viewed his take on the DC character as something of an enlightened one from another plane of existence, Leto talked to holy men and shamans to prepare for the role.

  The Madness: This approach has a whiff of a certain immature romanticization of mental illness.

  But Maybe: What? At least it was a whole different take, one that's definitely not what Heath Ledger, Jack Nicholson, or Cesar Romero did with the role.

   
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  (#10) He Spoke In The Joker's Voice During Concerts

  The Method: Leto spoke in a "Joker-voice" during 30 Seconds to Mars shows, which is sort of annoying for reasons that are hard to pinpoint.

  The Madness: Somehow, he managed to double down on whatever it is that makes that annoying, explaining in an interview: "To the Joker, violence is a symphony. This is someone who gets an extreme reward from the act of violence and manipulation. Those are the songs he sings and he is very in tune with what makes people tick."

  But Maybe: As a musician, this could just be how Leto understands every character, contextualizing them through the prism music.
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  (#11) He Gave 'Deadshot' Will Smith A Set Of Bullets

  The Method: Mailing Will Smith a set of bullets, which Smith probably should've reported to the police.

  The Madness: Is this supposed to be the Joker sending Deadshot a threat, or an actually thoughtful gift? Deadshot would like bullets, right? In which case, why does Smith get a character-specific gift when everybody else gets deceased animals?

  But Maybe: Maybe Smith didn't alert the FBI. This sort of thing probably happened all the time on the Fresh Prince set.
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  (#12) He Didn't Really Interact With His Co-Stars

  The Method: Isolating himself from the rest of the cast in order to remain enigmatically "in character."

  The Madness: It's not uncommon for method actors to want to remain in character for even when cameras aren't rolling, and that was reportedly the case with Leto. Just ask Will Smith: "I've never actually met Jared Leto. We worked together for six months and we've never exchanged a word outside of 'Action!' and 'Cut!' I literally have not met him yet."

  But Maybe: Maybe if he's the kind of guy who thinks it's hilarious to send his co-workers rodents and prophylactics, it's for the best that he keeps his distance. With friends like those, who needs arch-enemies?

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