To Become The Joker, Jared Leto Behaves Like a Psycho
The gift that keeps on giving.
Part of Jared Leto’s research into becoming a psychopathic killer for Suicide Squad involves delving into what makes the unhinged tick. He’s probably read some weighty academic tomes on the specifics of a fractured psyche, perhaps even interviewed a Joker-like criminal behind bars. That’s all standard background protocol for actors, though. And Leto’s not really wanting to tread ground previously yomped over by other performers.
To get into character, he’s going full-on method. How, you ask? By ‘gifting’ his co-stars with presents the Joker might send to his nearest and dearest. He first mailed a live rat to co-star Margot Robbie — along with a love letter, lest he forget the Joker’s true feelings for her onscreen counterpart Harley Quinn. In that same mail-out he sent a load of bullets to Will Smith. And, to make sure the entire ensemble didn’t feel left out — a dead hog. Lovely.
In the spirit of ‘embodying the character’, he’s doing a bang-up job. Jack Nicholson’s Joker seemed a bit of a harmless prankster, who, in turn, wasn’t the evil nutjob depicted in the comics. Leto’s stance takes way more cues from the source, which casts the maniacal loon as a highly dangerous individual.
Next on Leto’s list to receive something in the mail they probably don’t want is Jay Hernandez. He plays El Diablo in the movie, so Leto addressed the gift to him:
The Joker card placed top deck, nice touch. The envelope featuring a childish scrawl, yep, good work. As for the last item — an unknown object wrapped in newspaper — I’ve got to say, it’s probably better that it stays sealed. Unlike one of Hernandez’s followers who says he “would give up 2 inches off of my dick to see what’s wrapped in that newspaper and to read that letter” I’m disinterested in surrendering my nethers for a peek.
Judging by his previous handiwork, it’s probably something batshit like Bigfoot’s severed pinkie inside an elegant, silk-lined accessories case. As for the future of his bizarre gift-giving that’d give Santa a coronary, at least we know that should he come up short of something suitably gauche to send his co-workers, there’s a twit on Instagram who’s willing to snip off the end of his knob.
