After a six-year break—during which he wrote and directed a documentary
(2012’s Artifact)
and toured the world with his band (30 Seconds to Mars)—Jared
Leto dug deep to portray Rayon, a
transgendered woman battling AIDS and drug addiction, in Dallas Buyers
Club. The film’s star, Matthew
McConaughey, wasn’t the only one to completely transform himself for his role.
From his first audition, Leto became Rayon, dropping to 116 pounds, spending
weeks perfecting her voice, and never coming out of character throughout
filming. His heart-wrenching performance has won for Oscar this year and over
critics.
His two decades of
work as an actor have encompassed a host of intense and transformative
performances. These have included his portrayals in Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream, alongside
Ellen Burstyn, Jennifer Connelly, and Marlon Wayans; Steve James’ Prefontaine, as real-life
athlete Steve Prefontaine; J.P. Schaefer’s Chapter 27, for which he was voted the Audience Award at the
2007 Zurich Film Festival; David
Fincher’s Fight Club, with Brad Pitt and
Edward Norton, and Panic
Room, with Jodie Foster and
Forest Whitaker; Mary Harron’s American
Psycho, opposite Christian Bale.
How did you initially get
involved with this film?
I hadn’t made a film in five or six years and came across this script—or maybe I should say this script was put in front of me. I kind of blew it off a few times, and then someone convinced me to take a look. I thought the character (of Rayon) was amazing. And what a great team of people—I wanted to be a part of it.
I hadn’t made a film in five or six years and came across this script—or maybe I should say this script was put in front of me. I kind of blew it off a few times, and then someone convinced me to take a look. I thought the character (of Rayon) was amazing. And what a great team of people—I wanted to be a part of it.
Was Rayon based on an
amalgamation of anyone?
She’s a fictional character, and I’m really grateful that she was. I had an enormous amount of freedom to create, to imagine, to experiment and not have some of the parameters that come along with representing or portraying a real-life person. My journey began by meeting with transgendered people, trading stories, learning what it’s like to transition, learning what it’s like to tell your parents who you really are, reflecting on how you overcome great obstacles and challenges. That was essential. And, of course, there was a whole series of other things, the voice.
She’s a fictional character, and I’m really grateful that she was. I had an enormous amount of freedom to create, to imagine, to experiment and not have some of the parameters that come along with representing or portraying a real-life person. My journey began by meeting with transgendered people, trading stories, learning what it’s like to transition, learning what it’s like to tell your parents who you really are, reflecting on how you overcome great obstacles and challenges. That was essential. And, of course, there was a whole series of other things, the voice.
Yes, I heard about that, the
voice.
The voice was really important to key into the character. There was the dialect, but also other things, like the octave. Then there’s the walk and the body’s center and the weight. And, of course, the emotional condition and circumstances. So already there’s a lot there, and that’s one of the reasons I was so excited for the part and felt so compelled to play it, because of that unique set of challenges.
The voice was really important to key into the character. There was the dialect, but also other things, like the octave. Then there’s the walk and the body’s center and the weight. And, of course, the emotional condition and circumstances. So already there’s a lot there, and that’s one of the reasons I was so excited for the part and felt so compelled to play it, because of that unique set of challenges.
What you envisioned for Rayon varied slightly
from what director Jean-Marc Vallee had in mind. What fed that confidence going into your first meeting with him?
I didn’t really audition for the role, but I set up a Skype meeting. I
decided that it would be good to use it as an opportunity to see what I had to
offer. So we connected via Skype, and I grabbed some lipstick and put that on.
I could see his reaction—he was very shocked. I started to unbutton my thick
winter jacket and I had a little furry pink sweater underneath, and I pulled it
down off my shoulder and proceeded to flirt with him for 20 minutes. I woke up
the next day and had the official offer for the part. So that’s one way a lady
gets a job, I guess. It was a great experiment. I’m not so sure, but maybe
Jean-Marc may have
seen Rayon more as a drag queen or someone who enjoys pushing a gender envelope
or dressing up in women’s clothing, but to me, it was clear that this was a
person who wanted to live life as a woman. I think that key distinction was very
important to make early on.
One of the more emotional scenes is when Rayon
goes to visit her father. It’s tremendously powerful for the audience. What was
the filming of it like?
Well, it was a really intense scene to film. It was the very first time that I had worn men’s clothing because I was always in women’s clothing (throughout the shoot). It felt like I was in drag in that scene. I felt very vulnerable wearing that oversized, borrowed suit and to not have on any of my armor—you know, my wig, my makeup, my lipstick and heels. And here I was going to say goodbye to my father and to tell him that I forgive him. So I remember doing the first take, and it was just not working, and I was beginning to panic. All of a sudden, the scene became extremely important. I remember taking a moment, and a deep breath, and some magic happened. I think the second take was when the scene came to life. The director came over with tears in his
Well, it was a really intense scene to film. It was the very first time that I had worn men’s clothing because I was always in women’s clothing (throughout the shoot). It felt like I was in drag in that scene. I felt very vulnerable wearing that oversized, borrowed suit and to not have on any of my armor—you know, my wig, my makeup, my lipstick and heels. And here I was going to say goodbye to my father and to tell him that I forgive him. So I remember doing the first take, and it was just not working, and I was beginning to panic. All of a sudden, the scene became extremely important. I remember taking a moment, and a deep breath, and some magic happened. I think the second take was when the scene came to life. The director came over with tears in his
and you
could hear other people crying on set. It became clear that whatever we were
doing was working.
How do you find balance between
the acclaim and just being proud of the work?
I love performance and actors and acting and music and art, and when I turn a corner in the Museum of Modern Art, I want to have my mind blown. I want things to win; I want this to succeed. When I see a movie, I want it to move me. I want it to affect my life. So I think when a performance does work, it’s incredible because some of the time it doesn’t work. Most of the time it doesn’t work. You make these little movies, these independent movies, and they don’t turn out as you had hoped or wished they would. So when they do, it’s important to celebrate it. Not just the actors, but for you or whoever else. We all want to discover something and to celebrate it, you know? I’m super proud of and very excited to be a part of this insanity.
I love performance and actors and acting and music and art, and when I turn a corner in the Museum of Modern Art, I want to have my mind blown. I want things to win; I want this to succeed. When I see a movie, I want it to move me. I want it to affect my life. So I think when a performance does work, it’s incredible because some of the time it doesn’t work. Most of the time it doesn’t work. You make these little movies, these independent movies, and they don’t turn out as you had hoped or wished they would. So when they do, it’s important to celebrate it. Not just the actors, but for you or whoever else. We all want to discover something and to celebrate it, you know? I’m super proud of and very excited to be a part of this insanity.
‘DALLAS BUYERS CLUB’ is
released and distributed by CAPTIVE
CINEMA.
SHOWING ON MAY 7. NATIONWIDE!!!!!
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