Favorite Thespians #7 – Jared Leto

As always Favorite Thespians contains three separate sections: one section on the first film I saw the thespian in (“On My Radar”), another section on 5 films you need to see to know the thespian (now retitled as “Watchlist”), and a section on my favorite performance from him/her. This month I’m focusing on a guy who isn’t just one of my favorite actors, but is also one of my favorite musical artists: Jared Leto.

ON MY RADAR:
Jamie Blanks’s Urban Legend (1998)

Granted, Urban Legend isn’t regarded as a very good film. To be perfectly honest, I haven’t seen the film in many, many years. But one thing I do remember very clearly, is that I really liked that one specific guy – who turned out to be none other than Jared Leto, who I would end up being a huge fan of. I wish I could recommend it, but I don’t think that is fair when I haven’t seen it in years. This was the first time I noticed Leto. No, I have never seen My So-Called Life, sorry.

WATCHLIST:
Mary Harron’s American Psycho (2000)
Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem For A Dream (2000)
David Fincher’s Panic Room (2002)
J. P. Schaefer’s Chapter 27 (2007)
Jean-Marc Vallée’s Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

You’ll be surprised to learn where you can see Leto. He’s Angel Face in Fight Club and Paul Allen in American Psycho. But the first role to really, and I mean really, make him an acting star was Darren Aronofsky’s masterpiece, Requiem For A Dream. It’s a tough film to watch, but Leto does a great job. Later in his career he would gain weight to play Mark David Chapman in Chapter 27. Leto is, easily, the best part of that film.

FAVORITE PERFORMANCE:
Jean-Marc Vallée’s Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

Jared Leto ended up winning an Oscar for this performance, and you can tell why. Jared Leto, who plays Rayon, steals the show. It is definitely Leto’s best performance in his career, and it might even be better than McConaughey’s performance in the same film.

From my Dallas Buyers Club review:

“Leto and McConaughey stand out in this character-driven story, one that is […] executed perfectly by [the] actors.”

Favorite Thespians will return next month.

– I’m Jeffrey Rex