Jared Leto Performances, Ranked From "What?" To "WHOA"
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Every Major Jared Leto Performance, Ranked From "What?" To "Whoa"
Let's reflect on nearly 30 years of Jared Leto.
by Ken W. Hanley ContributorLink
28. Requiem for a Dream
Artisan Entertainment/Courtesy Everett Collection All in all, Requiem for a Dream features Jared Leto's arguably most vulnerable and grounded performance, which cemented his potential as an exceptional, scene-stealing actor.27. Girl, Interrupted
Columbia Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection Leto brings his A-game to the role of Toby in Girl, Interrupted, albeit not with much screentime. Playing the underwhelming, draft-dodging love interest in the film, he never overplays his hand and impresses with a rare understated performance.26. My So-Called Life
ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection The project that introduced most of the world to Leto as Jordan Catalano, the core love interest of the series. Though the role often treads into archetypal "sensitive bad boy" territory, few do it better than Leto, and his subtle portrayal of a teenager with a learning disability feels genuine. 25. Urban Legend
Columbia Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection Playing the handsome lead of this '90s slasher, Leto is largely sleepwalking through Urban Legend. Considering that the actor purportedly does not remember his performance in the film, it's not exactly surprising considering that the character largely gets lost in the shuffle as well.24. Switchback
Paramount / Courtesy Everett Collection Playing the unwitting sidekick to a manipulative and vicious serial killer, Leto's performance here is a bit more rough-around-the-edges than his earlier wide-eyed roles, but nonetheless plays it low-key and natural in this one, save for a few scenes of tension and action. 23. The Thin Red Line
20th Century Fox Film Corp. / courtesy Everett Collection Like the majority of the cast of The Thin Red Line, Jared Leto doesn't get too much screentime, but I'll be damned if Leto doesn't make the most of it. As a scout on the front lines of the Pacific Theater in World War II, Leto's nearly silent, body language-driven performance as he frantically searches for impending danger is quite riveting. 22. How to Make an American Quilt
Amblin Entertainment In one of his earliest roles, Leto offered a seductive and alluring performance that allowed for his fresh face and soft voice to leave an impression on the audience. It's not the meatiest part in his oeuvre, but it's surprisingly rare to see Leto play a traditionally steamy character.21. Prefontaine
Buena Vista Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection In his first major leading role, Jared Leto gained strong critical acclaim in the biopic of the ill-fated track-and-field wunderkind. Leto does an admittedly great job, but some of his more melodramatic acting choices and his slavish commitment to Steve Prefontaine's look hint at the broad swings he would take in future projects.20. Fight Club
20th Century Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection Fight Club feels like a turning point for Jared Leto as an actor, as his opportunity to rock a unique bleach-blonde look, adorn prosthetic makeup, and embrace the chaotic source material helped shift his mentality from the handsome young actor to an unpredictable, wild card supporting actor. 19. Alexander
Warner Bros / Courtesy Everett Collection In a movie defined by excess and big, bold swings, Jared Leto certainly understands the assignment with his take on Alexander the Great's "best friend" and confidante Hephaestion. He doesn't quite go over the top, but he certainly gets close to the edge with an accent of indistinct origins and multiple provocative line deliveries. 18. The Outsider
Netflix To his credit, Jared Leto's minimalist performance in The Outsider is pretty impressive, as he's able to simply and subtly emit much about his character's inner turmoil and hardened nature. Oddly enough, this cold and clinical performance still stands out among his more abrasive performances, especially as he willingly allows the story to focus more on the film's visual poetry. 17. Black & White
Palm Pictures Though this largely improvised film cannot be recommended for a number of reasons, chief among them the abhorrent allegations against its director, James Toback, Black and White features an out-of-place Leto in an aimless, all-too-brief performance as a high school teacher who later pursues a relationship with Terry, played by Robert Downey Jr. 16. American Psycho
Edward R. Pressman Productions "Hey, Paul!" Jared Leto isn't front and center of the exceptional ensemble in American Psycho, but he is an important figure in some of the film's more memorable moments, including the iconic business card sequence and the unforgettable ax-murder sequence. More importantly, Leto's performance as the more successful counterpart of Christian Bale's Patrick Bateman is genuinely hilarious, especially on repeated viewings. 15. Panic Room
Columbia Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection As one of the three home invaders in David Fincher's Panic Room, Leto plays the most emotional and dim-witted of the bunch. It's a good performance, and Leto plays the all-bark, no-bite elements of his character very well — but Leto also gets to yell and scream a bunch, and his early '00s hairstyle is more colorful than anything else in the thriller. 14. Blade Runner 2049
Alcon Media Group Opting for a more cold-hearted and ominous depiction of a scheming, evil replicant creator in Blade Runner 2049, Jared Leto's unique performance feels right at home in the meditative, dystopian world of this sci-fi franchise. However, Niander Wallace feels appropriately robotic rather than truly intimidating, regardless of his limitless resources and philosophical motivation throughout the movie. 13. Dallas Buyers Club
Focus Features Jared Leto won an Academy Award for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club, and no one can take that away from him. That said, his performance as a transgender woman afflicted with AIDS remains one of his more controversial roles that continues to remain divisive among audiences to this day, with some arguing his performance veers too far into potentially offensive stereotypes, while others defend Leto's vulnerability and humility in the emotionally turbulent motion picture. 12. The Last of the High Kings
Nordisk Film Though he gives the part of a wayward, rebellious youth all that he has to give, Jared Leto is woefully miscast in The Last of the High Kings, contrasting his uneven and uninspired acting choices with a cartoonish accent and physicality that feels closer to George McFly than James Dean. 11. Lonely Hearts
Samuel Goldwyn Films / Courtesy Everett Collection Playing one-half of the infamous Lonely Hearts Killers in this 2006 retelling of the true crime story, Leto makes some choices in this thriller. While he's not as uninhibited as some of the other performances on this list, he is definitely in rare form as the emotionally turbulent murderer, and the scene where he is seduced by Salma Hayek with a gun pointed firmly against his genitals is a must-watch. 10. Highway
New Line Cinema / Courtesy Everett Collection Leto is memorably aloof and sweaty in his role as a horned-up pool boy whose affair with a mobster's wife puts him and his equally whacked-out brother in harm's way, setting forth a better-than-expected road movie with a lot of fun and weird turns. Leto goes full throttle in the role of a well-meaning but foolish himbo, and a scene in which he receives his comeuppance is legitimately unforgettable. 9. Lord of War
MGM A legitimately scathing takedown of the disgusting, corrupting, and sadly accepted business of war profiteering, Lord of War is effortlessly watchable and a solid addition to the respective filmographies of stars Nicolas Cage and Jared Leto. Both known for their manic energy and audacious performances, Leto really reaches for the sky in the film, especially in an insane scene where he has proudly created a replica of his home country out of cocaine. 8. Basil
Courtesy Everett Collection Still near the beginning of his career, you cannot fault Jared Leto for trying his darnedest with Basil, a historical drama based on Wilkie Collins' novel. Alas, Leto's British accent here is more at home in a Saturday Night Live parody of Pride & Prejudice and undercuts any dramatic tension at every turn. 7. Sunset Strip
20th Century Fox Film Corp. / Courtesy Everett Collection Sunset Strip never quite reaches what it strives to achieve as a comedy-drama, but Jared Leto undeniably steals his scenes with his performance as a spaced-out country rock star, which retroactively sounds like a mix between Matthew McConaughey's Moondog from The Beach Bum and Jack White's incoherent Elvis from Walk Hard. At least Leto appears to be in on the joke in this movie, which is a nice change of pace. 6. The Little Things
Gran Via Productions / Via HBO Max Jared Leto is legitimately great as the creepy (and surprisingly funny) suspect named Albert Sparma in his Golden Globe-nominated performance in The Little Things. He wields the hysterically inappropriate dialogue like a sword while ensuring he physically looks as emaciated and upsetting as humanly possible. The Little Things may not be a home run, but Leto is certainly the most prepared batter in the dugout. 5. Mr. Nobody
Pan-Européenne Mr. Nobody is a movie with a lot of big, ambitious, and intriguing ideas, and thus it needed a big, ambitious, and intriguing actor to carry it toward the finish line. Say what you may about Leto's multifaceted role in this film, but when a production such as this needs a committed actor to roll with its increasingly strange punches, he was probably the best man for the job. 4. Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Warner Bros. Pictures / Via HBO Max Though he's still bringing the chaotic, throw-everything-at-the-wall energy of Suicide Squad's Joker in Zack Snyder's Justice League, there's visible, tangible growth and development in Leto's performance here, which is a surprisingly more tempered take on the character. More importantly, there's a Shakespearean level of intent in every line reading, which almost justifies his previous embodiment of the character...almost. 3. Chapter 27
Peace Arch Films / Courtesy Everett Collection Anchored by extremely breathy narration and defined by the actor's noted weight gain, Jared Leto's performance as Mark David Chapman will knock you on your butt for all the wrong reasons. Leto desperately attempts to tap into a Travis Bickle mode while emphasizing the lonely and pathetic nature of the real-life assassin. Perhaps the most disturbing element of Chapter 27 is Leto's lack of self-awareness as he remains oblivious to his own obsessive, unhealthy dedication to the role and the gross, exploitative undertones of the material at hand. 2. Suicide Squad
Warner Bros / courtesy Everett Collection Suicide Squad exhibits Jared Leto at his most self-indulgent, as he loudly chews the scenery in every scene as the "Juggalo" Joker in the film. It's among his most bizarre, unwieldy performances, and sadly, that's not necessarily in a fun way. 1. House of Gucci
MGM / Courtesy Everett Collection An absolutely unbelievable performance that must be seen to be believed, Jared Leto's depiction of Paolo Gucci is the highest of high camp in Ridley Scott's melodramatic biopic. It's undeniably wild, and the fact that Leto swings for the fences with a Super Mario-esque accent and a Mad TV-esque physical transformation are worth celebrating. Do you agree with this list? What are some Leto performances that you loved (or disliked)? Let me know in the comments below!
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