Morbius – Jared Leto: “I can promise you one thing: I will never be boring”
Cubist makeup and rococo overplay have become his trademark. Jared Leto dares everything, even bizarre superheroism. Like in Morbius, where he becomes a vampire while looking for a cure for his blood disease.
If Morbius did a (double) flop in theatersin 2022, his promotion was the opportunity to meet his main actor, Jared Letofollower of “Method”daring any provocations on set and not hesitating to stay in character for hours… even during her pee breaks.
To wait until the rebroadcast of the superhero film on TMC, at 9:15 p.m., we are sharing this interview again.
First: What does acting mean to you?
Jared Leto: Oh… Um… (He stares into space, thinks. Endless silence). It's very tempting to say something stupid! But thank you for making me think about this, it's an important question (His gaze returns to vagueness, we wonder if he has forgotten what we asked him).
Maybe I shouldn't have started with that!
No, no, you did well (New silence, long seconds pass, we check if the Zoom has not frozen). At best, acting is… Hmm. It's art. At worst, it's completely insignificant. But for me, personally, it is above all a quest strewn with pitfalls. Because if you put aside the purely creative aspect, then it's just about striving to create the opportunities that will allow you to play interesting roles. And that’s probably the hardest part of the job.
Your vision of the game could be summed up as method acting a little extreme, with a lot of exaggeration, extravagance, even grotesqueness…
I'm not afraid to be extravagant, it's the right formula. But that's because I see extravagance everywhere in real life. I could very well pass someone with their hair on fire in the streets of New York, it wouldn't seem totally surreal to me. On the other hand, put that in a film and people will say: “ No matter what, it would never happen in reality. »
Um, little chance of that happening anyway, right?
I grant you that, but you get the idea…
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Yes, yes… Hardly anyone dares what you do in Hollywood anymore. Is it also a way of regaining power over creation, of rebelling?
I don't really have a grievance against Hollywood. It is linked to something more intimate, to a vision of the profession. Quentin Tarantino once said to one of his actors who was worried about being “too much”: “ In my films, you can't be too much. ” He is right. I can't stand watching actors pose next to the camera and whisper for an hour and a half. I do not care. I like to explore the extremes of human behavior. Sometimes that means being perfectly quiet, and sometimes it means being completely silent. The intimate and the extraordinary. That's exciting.
And the consequence is that you are a polarizing actor…
I don't give a damn to be honest. I can just promise you one thing: I will never be boring. At this point in my life and career, I'm trying to break the mold. I feel obliged to make strong choices. To create a breach, to move the lines. Otherwise, I don't see what's the point. I don't care if I have the most beautiful smile in Hollywood.
What attracted you to the character of Morbius?
It was a perfect role for me because I play a guy on the verge of death, who then gets healthy again. He then becomes super strong, before transforming into a monster. Wow: that's some stuff to play! I like the idea of being able to infuse that into a popcorn movie. I have no problem with commercial films as long as they are well made. It can even be a transformative experience for the viewer. I grew up in an era where you could make a living only acting in independent films. That's it. What’s coming out in theaters today is pure entertainment. And that's very nice, but I always try to go further than what is offered to me. What interests me is creating a life on screen. Like sculpture, but with my body and my mind.
In your eyes, roles are more important than films?
I would say yes. I'm very focused when I do this kind of thing. I'm in my bubble and it's an extremely rewarding process. I find myself in the Peter Sellers, the Daniel Day-Lewis, the Jack Nicholson… Actors who immerse themselves, who disappear into their roles. There's no point playing the average guy. There are some very, very subtle actors that I love as a viewer, but that's not what excites me, sorry.
Morbius: the director deciphers the post-credits scenes
