Jared Leto is dedicated to his craft, but don't call him a method actor.
He admitted that his techniques are similar to that of famed method actors Daniel Day Lewis and Leonardo DiCaprio, but told Variety that he refers to his practice as "immersive work."
Though he didn't explain why he prefers one term over another, he noted that he chooses to put himself through sometimes grueling circumstances because "it's an opportunity to learn."
Most recently, he challenged himself to walk with a cane and learn to limp to play Marvel's Morbius for the upcoming film of the same title. "I don't want to get too specific because I'd like to keep some of that for myself," he said of the process. "But I leaned in—no pun unintended. I'm a sucker for a pun, but I didn't mean that. I worked with people who had this specific physical challenge and modeled it after that."
While Marvel fans have yet to see Leto in action, co-star Adria Arjona, who plays scientist Martine Bancroft, confirmed that his performance is scary good. "I remember fearing for this guy's spine," she shared. "There should have been a physical therapist on call."
Director Daniel Espinosa, saying, "He really commits. You have to watch out for it."
But the process can take a toll on the performer, with Leto noting that it's difficult to shed a character, even one as tortured as Morbius. "For me, they're like living, breathing people," he says. "I know they're not, of course, but I get attached. It's a shame to never do it again."
Some personas are harder to say goodbye to than others, with Leto revealing that he found himself slipping into the accent of Paolo Gucci as he was playing Adam Neumann in the AppleTV+ series WeCrashed. He recalled, "It was very bizarre. I don't know if it's because I got tired or if Paolo was just demanding my attention, but that can happen."
Otherwise, he was speaking in the same Israeli lilt as Neumann. Just ask his co-star Anne Hathaway who played Rebekah Neumann, the disgraced CEO's wife and advisor. "I didn't really work with Jared," the actress told Variety. "He was only ever Adam. It was fun. Wild and focused. Inspiring."
See the fruits of Leto's labor when WeCrashed premieres on AppleTV+ March 18.