Interviews » Interview with Jared Leto - Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Interview with Jared Leto (Requiem for a Dream)

19.10.2000

Satyr: Where are you from originally?

Jared Leto: Anchorage.

Satyr: I was interested in your acting approach to this film, I know this was such a hard film for everyone involved.

JL: It was miserable, it was the most miserable and rewarding thing I've ever done. It was an opportunity for me to push myself further and harder than I've ever pushed myself. I basically went and exposed myself to everything that I felt I needed to in order to get to the place I needed to go. I made everybody in the film made Huge commitments I just did as much as I could.

Satyr: You lost 25 pounds for the movie, how did you do that?

JL: I basically starved myself. I am a skinny guy to start with, I'm probably 145 now, but I was about 153, and I got down to 125. You basically do that by not eating. It is the hardest thing that I've probably ever done. But it was worth doing and rewarding, I don't even know how I did it. And I look back on it, and it's hard for me to stop and eat the candy or the cookie now. It's just so bizarre. It becomes kind of compulsive, it's basically what the film deals with, our obsession with escapism, and our need to get outside ourselves and find something that will fix us, whether it's a roller coaster, the Internet, sex, drugs, food, work. Or, our obsession as human beings with progress, you know. Building a better, faster computer, do we really need a taller building? We're always focused on going forward, I think, so we don't have to look at ourselves, like the addiction. But look at the insanity we're creating, the chaos. Is that too heavy?

Satyr: How did you do the make-up for the arm?

JL: We had this really great make-up artist, she just painted it on. It's amazing the type of reaction it gets from the audience. I look at it and all I see is the make-up. I've seen people that were literally, (shudders and hides his eyes) Whoa!

Satyr: What was the hardest part of the movie for you?

JL: I went out into the city and spent a lot of time on the streets of New York and doing preparation and learned to speak a different way and I lost a lot of weight. Those were all very challenging in their own way. The whole film was very difficult to make, I am really proud of it and my performance. I'm just happy that I got the opportunity to work with this group of people, because everybody was fantastic. They also had to put up with a lot of sh*t from me, because I was miserable. You know when you haven't eaten for seven hours, or you haven't eaten all day and you're doing interviews and you just get a little grumpy, I was like that ALL THE TIME.

Satyr: You think it was also because of all the emotional work you had to do in the film?

JL: Oh yeah, there were scenes where Jennifer and I-especially after the screaming scenes, which were literally ten times as long as they were in the movie. Darren is just ruthless when he's cutting, he's just ruthless and gets right to the point in this film. We did scenes where some days I couldn't even look at her and she could look at me. We just despised each other. But, you know, I love her, and she's great, and we're friends. For me it was a film that I had to take home with me, especially with the weight. And there was the voice that I had that I was just staying with all the time. Which was great, and I was just thrilled that I had the chance to do that, and that's what this type of film is for, to do that and push yourself that far.

Satyr: When you're in a film where you have a really close relationship with someone, where you're really in love, how much do your personal feelings for the other person get involved?

Well, we had very few scenes where we were lubby dovey. I never had a problem with that. I find that emotions can leave residual effects. I mean Jennifer is a very attractive girl, but to me it never crossed my mind. In the film I kill someone, but I never have the feeling to do something like that. If you're filled with pain and misery all-day in the set, you're practicing and using a method to get there, it's not like, "Yeah yeah, hold on, I'll be right there..." I mean, if it's something in between takes and you're living in that world, physically the role is getting to you, it's hard not to have some of that stay with you. And it's definitely a film that you watch it and it eats at you, but making it for those three months, was just really a painful and intense experience.

Satyr: I just wanted to know if there was any one particular scene in the film that was so gut wrenching and straining scene you've ever done?

Obviously all the stuff at the end, I mean there were some scenes that I had to be emotional in, and when the scenes were in, I got all emotional and was just like "Thank God it's done." But finishing the whole film was really interesting because I was pushing myself so far the whole time and I was just doing so many things physically, emotionally and psychologically. I was putting myself in this really tight grip all the time that when I finally let go I had a lot of guilt. It was hard for me to let go of it. I don't want to sound pretentious, like I couldn't let go of my character, but it was hard to start eating again. I don't know if that answered your question, but it's more finishing the movie that was really dramatic. Like there was the scene where I tell Jennifer that she can go and I give her that number, and I walk out that door, and I was just completely exhausted and wasted. And when I watched it, I was just carried away by the scene. That's when it's nice to see yourself. As opposed to when you're faking it, then you cringe. When you look at videotape of you and your friends, you're never over-acting, unless you're aware of the camera. So there were a lot of nice moments in this film that made me very proud.

Satyr: Can you talk about your training and you're beginnings as an actor?

JL: You're question requires a long answer, I don't know if I can encapsulate it. I decided I wanted to be an actor, pursued it, auditioned, got roles, got more, learned what I wanted to do, and just worked at it all along the way, you know, try try try.

Satyr: The perception of Marlon (Wayans) is definitely going to change after this film comes out since he is considered a comedic actor. You're more known as being a known an intense dramatic actor, but sitting here listening to you answer questions, you're a very funny guy.

JL: That's what agents say, "You really need to do a comedy." When I go to a video store I always go to the drama section. I like comedies and maybe some time I'll do one at some point. But you know what? I've finally figured out what I want, and it's that I want to work with filmmakers that have a point of view and films that have something to say. They can be entertaining, I don't want to do Requiem for a Dream every time out. I'd f*cking kill myself.

Satyr: What are some of your upcoming projects?

JL: I'm working with David Fincher again, on another light movie. It's called Panic Room, and it's with Nicole Kidman. That's what's next and I'm shooting that in November. And it's great to go back to work for a guy like that. It's what I dream of doing, just like you guys want to write a good article or bo.



Original-Quelle: worth1000.com, The Satyr