The Joker, an iconic villain in both film and comic books, has been portrayed by very talented actors in the past, with the late Heath Ledger winning an Academy Award posthumously for his performance. Actor Jared Leto, speaking to Entertainment Weekly, gives insight into his approach to make his own stamp on the character.
According to Leto, he did begin his research by reading the source material. However, after reading most of the comic books and graphic novels, the actor stopped when he realized that each writer and artist eventually reinvented their version of the Joker, building on or stripping down elements of versions that came before.
"It's probably better to not get into it but to the Joker, violence is a symphony," the actor explained. "This is someone who gets an extreme reward from the act of violence and manipulation. Those are the songs he sings and he is very in tune with what makes people tick."
In order for him to do the same, taking what was iconic while still reinventing the Joker, Leto then approached psychologists, police officers and later on individuals who have been institutionalized for a long period of time in order to properly get into that kind of psyche, a kind of thinking that the Joker would live in.
Leto also explained that in order for him to remain committed to this version that he was portraying, he stayed in character even when not filming. The actor also gave his castmates surprises and morbid gifts such as dropping a pig corpse on their table as they watched a video of him as the Joker.
The actor also explained that the look of the Joker, with his glamorous clothing and tattoos, was a collaborative effort between him and director David Ayer. However, he did confirm that Ayer had a very specific direction with the tattoos, although what they mean may remain a mystery unless the film decides to touch upon them and their origin.
"Suicide Squad" opens in theaters this Aug. 5.
