Letos eccentric approach has already become the stuff of legend.
We chatted with the actor for EWs Summer Movie Preview Issue, which is on stands Friday.
Leto hasnt talked much yet about the role in the August release.
Credit: Clay Enos
Here are some choice excerpts from our interview.
JARED LETO:You take a deep breath.
We knew we had to strike new ground.
There had been such great work that we knew we had to go in a different direction.
That was really helpful.
But the Joker is fantastic because there are no rules.
The Joker operates from instinct.
What kind of conversations did you have with David about who this guy was going to be?
And it was nice to have that trust from him.
He really let me lose and encouraged me.
That was a priceless thing when youre working with a director to have that faith and trust.
So what did you do to create this guy?
What did you go and do?
Who did this guy become to you?
He became a real person.
I dont know if person is the right word.
I think the Joker lives in between reality and another plane.
Kind of a shaman in a way.
Its a very intoxicating role to take on.
You have permission to break rules and to challenge yourself and anyone around you in a really unique way.
And then at a certain point, I knew I had to stop doing that.
Because the Joker has been redefined, reinvented many times before.
It was a transformative process.
There was a physical transformation.
There was a physical conditioning.
What, specifically, did you do?
There are a lot of things.
Its probably better to not get into it but 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.
Yeah, its really fun.
Now, how difficult was it staying in that character for the entire shoot?
It was challenging but it was also fun.
He has a great sense of humor, depending on who you ask.
[Laughs]
Like your castmates?
Yeah, it’s possible for you to ask them about that.
But for me, I knew I had to be committed as much as possible.
I had to be committed beyond belief.
And I did what I needed to do to deliver the best I possibly could.
Its not a part-time job.
It takes over your life and thats what I needed to do for myself.
Other people can show up and are genius but I did what I needed to do to deliver.
And we had a good time with it.
I think it was exactly what was needed for me, at least.
How did that whole thing go down?
I think in the beginning it was important to set up and define our relationship, so to speak.
[laughs]There were a lot of things.
Youve got to remember doing these things isnt just about the result, its the process.
Its working with Mr.
Frost, who is the Jokers henchman.
So it becomes an exercise as much for me as it is for anyone else.
And its as much about the process as it is about the results.
How do you go about these sorts of things?
How do you work with the people around you?
It was a lot of fun.
Those actions and those gesturesthe joker loves a grand gesture.
Those were really important.
And they were fun.
The Joker is someone who doesnt take things too seriously.
Where did you get the pig?
If I told you, you wouldnt believe me.
Nah, I cant tell you.
But there was a method to the madness and a point for all of it.
I wouldnt have changed it for the world.
It was a really wonderful experience.
How involved were you in creating the Jokers look?
David had some very specific ideas.
As far as the look of the Joker, it was a collaborative process.
What specific things did you bring to it?
But you know David was specific with tattoos.
They were his idea but there was a lot to play with.
Who knows what will end up in the final film?
I think for the Joker and the process, its probably best to talk to the other people.
I dont mean that dismissively, but I think it will be more interesting.
What I think is interesting is what did the crew think, what did the DP think?
I was happy to make everyone smile… even if I had to cut their tongues out.
Suicide Squadopens on Aug. 5.
