Jared Leto steps into the shoes of the Clown Prince of Crime in this summer's "Suicide Squad," which dropped a new trailer on Tuesday.
Expectations run high, as the last actor to play The Joker, Heath Ledger, won an Oscar for his performance in 2008's "The Dark Knight."
Leto will be the 12th actor to take on the role after three live appearances on television and film and multiple game and animated film adaptations featuring the talents of eight voice actors ranging from Troy Baker to "Star Wars" actor Mark Hamill.
In gearing up for "Suicide Squad," we're taking a look back at Leto's rise to fame.
Born on December 26, 1971, Jared Leto grew up a nomad. His family lived in Haiti, a Colorado commune, his grandmother's house, and places in between.
Leto gets a hug from his grandmother, Ruby, at a screening of his movie "Alexander."
Source: The New York Times
They didn't have much. "My mother crawled out of the muddy banks of the Mississippi with my brother and I in one hand and a fistful of food stamps in the other," Leto jokes.
Leto arrives on the red carpet at the 2014 Academy Awards with his mother, Constance, and brother, Shannon.
Source: Interview Magazine
There were always instruments strewn about the house, however, including guitars, pianos, and bongo drums. As kids, the brothers made music with pots and pans.
At 16, Leto came to a crossroads. "I thought I might be an artist or a painter. Or maybe a drug dealer," Leto says. "But I didn't know which path I would take. It's just fortunate that I chose one over the other."
Source: Twitter
Leto dropped out of high school, returned to get his diploma, and left three different art schools, where he studied painting and film, before pursuing a new career interest.
A 21-year-old Leto arrived in Los Angeles with just a backpack and a few hundred bucks in his pocket. He searched for acting jobs, figuring that was the gateway to directing.
Source: Interview Magazine
After nabbing a handful of roles in made-for-TV movies and short-lived family sitcoms, Leto landed his big break as the mopey and effortlessly cool Jordan Catalano in "My So-Called Life."
Catalano was the love interest of Claire Danes' leading character, Angela. To this day, Leto reportedly asks reporters that they not ask him questions about the show.
Source: Interview Magazine
When the show was canceled, Leto's film career ramped up. He wanted to leave behind the teen-heartthrob archetype, so he went after small roles in serious projects, like his first movie, 1995's "How to Make an American Quilt."
In "How to Make an American Quilt," Leto plays the boss' devilishly handsome son, who lures a servant into having an affair.
Source: Interview Magazine
From 1995 to 1999, he appeared in no fewer than 10 movies, including "Fight Club."
In "Fight Club," he was beaten into oblivion as Angel Face, a handsome and favored club regular. The movie brought him major blockbuster credibility.
It also marked the beginning of a critical-acclaim streak for the actor, now approaching his 30s. He played a selfish ex-boyfriend in 1999's "Girl, Interrupted."
He gets maimed, again, as the arrogant associate Paul Allen in "American Psycho." While Leto was passed up for the lead, he rattled critics in the supporting role.
His streak culminated in the leading role in Darren Aronofsky's "Requiem for a Dream," which at the time brought Leto the best reviews of his career.
Source: The New York Times
He auditioned for the role of a disillusioned, heroin-addicted Brooklynite "about 6,000 times," Leto jokes. "Requiem for a Dream was an incredibly important film for me."
Source: Interview Magazine
In 1998, the pair formed the post-grunge rock band Boiled Hard, later adding a lead guitarist, Tomo Miličević. The group later changed its name to Thirty Seconds to Mars.
The group's debut album drew modest success, causing the band to keep playing despite Leto's busy filming schedule.
The band's sophomore album, "A Beautiful Lie," rocketed the band to stardom. After recording on four different continents to accommodate Leto, the band reached platinum status in America.
As Thirty Seconds to Mars hit its stride, Leto shelved his acting career. After appearing in the cyberthriller "Mr. Nobody," Leto began a four-year hiatus from Hollywood.
In those years, the band released their most successful album to date, "This Is War," and set a Guinness World Record for "Longest Concert Tour by a Rock Band."
At last, he came across a script that gripped him by the throat. "I'd heard about ['Dallas Buyers Club'] before — and I'd even ignored a few emails about it," Leto says. "Eventually, I took a look at it, and I just fell in love with the opportunity and the role."
![At last, he came across a script that gripped him by the throat. "I'd heard about ['Dallas Buyers Club'] before — and I'd even ignored a few emails about it," Leto says. "Eventually, I took a look at it, and I just fell in love with the opportunity and the role."](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tkYjJybD38tDGwZDWRx8lEoRE9Qek4mnLMdHo_qhAS8xgW2Zb08E2JWOwRtS1QeLEqUBZY6s8wOiBfykxim8ZhwIqK45r1ZIYM-masHW3kDsOKadjiZbyR2tWdEjNKILP7w1cyMSLyfw7M-g1KGrjEUpkQM3ABiXeJ4jeh4IH66vn5u58QYxf_2ZrtEA_-nGSQe29oDuIJDfRD43HuDyj3CldR0YCL80BspIDpyA-3EUWY4tF1W74evKhYNI43XkTHLIQnWzxunVpo9UCEiFJW11WxsWL5NzZU9JPJ2SrKjcQFmhkS5Us-jxiJO70IXzwIuSU4lvkJOxzsOrIWGBZ6wL10r-qXthj41I1dviGmSICEcsT5vZXlq_ha3bqPk0-1DhzZ_pGCyFmjThTHurrWH3sbgKOpdjO2kX62GEKDIkkVNnlzGKi17RhnhxgV7HKKqwQuU39vu-2diTnLd_1DaZSSdg=s0-d)
Source: Interview Magazine
Leto plays a transgender woman with AIDS who teams up with Matthew McConaughey's character to smuggle medication into the US and supply it to fellow patients.
He also — just barely — made it into host Ellen DeGeneres' infamous Oscar selfie.
See far left.
In 2014, Thirty Seconds to Mars went back on tour in a double-headliner run with Linkin Park.
Source: Billboard
Now, Leto embarks on one of his most challenging roles yet ...
Leto traded in his long locks to become the fourth actor to portray The Joker on the big screen in next August's "Suicide Squad."
"Suicide Squad" is based on a comic book starring the most infamous supervillains in the DC Comics universe, including Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Will Smith as Deadshot, and Cara Delevingne as Enchantress.
When director David Ayer finally revealed Leto's Joker look online, fans went berserk. His tattoos, grill, and over-the-top insanity didn't look like any incarnation of The Joker we've seen before.
Once again, Leto committed to method acting. "We worked together for six months and we've never exchanged a word [off-camera] outside of 'Action!' and 'Cut!'" Will Smith told Vanity Fair. "He was all in on the Joker."
![Once again, Leto committed to method acting. "We worked together for six months and we've never exchanged a word [off-camera] outside of 'Action!' and 'Cut!'" Will Smith told Vanity Fair. "He was all in on the Joker."](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tzuvVF1KHGrNnO-nDgbXLamNXbbZrIBMP97-imaOn_pim3boKZyrw8ft2rRDITQJlMpha-pelyCg-pq0xk6dyaVuc0IJ3_3ifmvwF1uiu7t5Q5LrX0XSpxYEeULas4ID0q-Xzn09WejGZrmfEKK84vvdFDRwonT5qd_4FeibSp9qLMboKDsOG-KVYOax4B-S4LNA21M25EKua0Zw3sFxXOVpNoXcknil099GkDc0vJMxwNyC8O9h_h34oXY_VMzpFohg86xYX0b3oMnLj1sEym-kUB84aFtH6AEwfWcylud00Kva3oQHJFGN-gUuwsPxhmVZY3nLBV3ZJL_2yk_yUu4xqgaYkCllN9-dGylxhSiKg-yTAP08TApg40jOTd_EPFvT9HIr_6PjkAPLGGOUP7eT9ebZvpZg=s0-d)
Source: Vanity FairHe even sent a rat to costar Margot Robbie and bullets to Will Smith, to get into character as the Crown Prince of Crime.
... and promoting VyRT, a web-streaming service he launched in 2013 to provide the "best online concert experience" for viewers.
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