Jared Leto’s Joker Inspired by Real-life Interactions with Psychopaths

“Extra's" Jerry Penacoli sat down with Jared Leto, who not only opened up about playing the Joker in “Suicide Squad," but also broke news on his other passion, his band, 30 Seconds to Mars.

As for playing the Joker, Leto admitted he still could not believe he got the part. “When I got the call, I remember being excited and terrified. I felt an enormous pressure... These are really big shoes to fill, obviously the work that has come before, Jack Nicholson, Cesar Romeo, Heath Ledger, beautiful performances, unforgettable performances, it was very intimidating to think about being passed that baton, and I think out of respect of what was done before, we knew we had to go in a completely different direction.”

Jared delved deep into the role, even spending time with real-life psychopaths to prepare, saying it was “fascinating.” He added, “To look into the eyes of people who don't have a desire or necessity for any common nicety... That was interesting to see. I learned a lot from that. The Joker lives in that space where he has no rules.”

On how he kept himself in character, he said, “It required a certain amount of commitment and focus. I never walked around thinking I was the Joker; for me, I needed to quiet any distractions and be as committed as possible.”

Aside from acting, Jared and 30 Seconds to Mars are in the studio working on new music. He told Jerry exclusively, “We actually just signed... and will be putting our next album out through Interscope Records, an infamous label full of a lot of really great, hard-working people.”