Fact: Jared Leto who played the ‘The Joker,’ delved so deep within his character for ‘Suicide Squad’ that he started sending fellow cast Joker-esque presents.
Jared Leto is an American actor who has played important roles such as Prefontaine in the rise of an Oregon running legend, Steve Prefontaine. Also, he is known for his outlandish persona, but takes an incredibly in-depth exploration and analysis of his characters. And the pressure is no exception for Jared Leto the Joker in Suicide Squad.
Additionally, he is the third Oscar-winning actor, after Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger as the joker. There is no getting around the shoes Leto must fill after the joker Heath Ledger portrayed in the Dark Knight. Bars were set almost unattainably high. So, to give credence to these Oscar-winning actors, not one person saw Jared Leto onset of the Suicide Squad. He continually evolved his character and formed him into a very deep, on the edge and broken comedian, who inflicts his personal sickness cerebrally onto others.
On the set of his most recent character, ‘The Joker’ in Suicide Squad, Jared Leto would not break out of his character on set even when he wasn’t filming. He begged for his character to look like a prettier transsexual Rayon (character in Dallas Buyers Club). He ended up sending fellow cast members ‘Joker-esque’ presents including: a rat to Margot Robbie and bullets to Will Smith; even sent a dead hog for his whole crew. In response, Leto’s close friend stated that ‘he frightened him at times due to his behavior.’ Leto presented to reporters that he wanted the Joker to be very “cerebral and comedic,” he wanted his performance to be remembered by fans forever.