May 192016
 

SuicideSquadJKRandHQfeaturepic3On May 19, IGN reported that in in an interview, Jared Leto revealed that playing the Joker for Suicide Squad had been the most fun he had in film.  Here is an excerpt of the report by NICOLE CARPENTER:

Suicide Squad actor Jared Leto had a “blast” playing the Joker, despite having to shave his eyebrows off for the second film in a row.

Getting the call to play the Joker was “terrifying and exciting” for Leto. “It was a real honor to get asked to play the part,” he added. “These characters are so special to people and I have a lot of respect to that.”

During an appearance on The Ellen Degeneres Show, the actor told Degeneres filming Suicide Squad was “the most fun [he’s] ever had on a film.” And it sure sounds like he did; back in April, it was reported Leto sent a bunch of disturbing gifts to his co-stars.

Leto also became “part detective, part writer,” and met with actual killers and psychopaths when preparing for the role.

He’s not the only one who did weird things to get into character. Enchantress actress Cara Delevingne said she got naked in the woods and walked around howling.

Following is Leto’s interview with Ellen Degeneres :


(Original article HERE)

Apr 232016
 

SuicideSquadJKRandHQfeaturepic2COMINGSOON.COM, Silas Lesnick released an interested bit of an interview with Jared Leto and Margot Robbie talking about what it was playing the Joker and Harley Quinn.  Here is an excerpt of that article:

“I don’t think I’m allowed to talk about that so much,” Leto smiles, “But we walked in a completely new direction. I think we knew that we had to do that. It was important to do that. When the Joker has been done and done so well, it gives you a bit of an indication of where you shouldn’t go. There’s a bit of a map there. That’s the good part about it.”

As a fan of the character himself, Leto is thrilled at the chance to offer a brand-new take on a role that has become something much bigger than the sum of its parts. 

“It’s quite an honor,” Leto continues. “Joker has been written about in pop culture for 75 years. I’m just the latest in the long list of people who have redefined and reinvented this character. The actors, the voice actors, the television series, the writers, the artists and the fans. People have taken the Joker and reinvented and redefined for 75 years. It is really special to be asked to do that.”

Starring opposite Leto is Margot Robbie in the first ever big-screen depiction of psychiatrist turned psychopath, Harley Quinn. While the Suicide Squad Joker may be aiming for a brand-new take, Robbie suggests that what we’ll be seeing from her character is classic Harley.

“I did a lot of research on mental illness and codependency,” she says. “I was trying to access a way in to understanding why she’s so in love with the Joker. I kind of decided that she’s codependent on him. Now that I’ve done the research, I realize that that’s more of an addiction than an illness… You see many sides of her. Sometimes she’s really funny. Sometimes she’s really mean. She just enjoys everything she does. Whether she’s doing something good or bad, she’ll have an equal amount of enjoyment out of it. She’s not always the most likable character.”

(For complete article, please visit COMINGSOON.COM HERE)

Apr 102016
 

SuicideSquaddatePerry Carpenter for the INQUISITR reported the following:

With Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice currently out in theaters, fans are already starting to look forward to DC’s next biggest offering, Suicide Squad. Although Suicide Squad won’t be out until later this summer, Ben Affleck recently opened up about his part in the movie and discussed Jared Leto’s performance as the new Joker.

…While the topic of conversation varied throughout the interview, Conan O’Brien eventually asked Affleck point blank about his time on the set of Suicide Squad.

“I’ve got to ask Ben, because Ben shot scenes for Suicide Squad, highly anticipated. You’ve seen several people play The Joker. Any comments on his performance?” Conan asked Affleck.

Of course, Affleck left out any major details because of contractual obligations, but he did comment on Leto’s performance.

“I think Jared Leto was a genius but I’m bound by more confidentiality agreements than you can shake a stick at. I’m just going about my business… He’s brilliant. Masterful. Brilliant, brilliant guy.

(Please read the whole article at the INQUISITR HERE)

Apr 022016
 

NRjrbjtEIb05_18aIl_VuimGKN7nG32FfLA04oKWOCsLucas Siegel wrote a  very interesting article for COMICBOOK.COM about Jared Leto’s approach to his characterization of the Joker for the SUICIDE SQUAD MOVIE.  Here is  what he had to say:

Jared Leto looks at The Joker as a Shakespearean level character. That’s the core of how he approached the Clown Prince of Crime for Suicide Squad, something he found important because of what’s come before at the talents of folks like Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, Mark Hamill, and others.

“The work that’s been done on this character by so many people before me has been so impactful,” Leto told EW, “so incredible, so much fun, so profound, so risky, that it’s a very special thing to be asked to take on that responsibility.”

He looks at playing The Joker the same way someone might approach a role in a Shakespeare play that’s been so well-defined by many actors before him.

“Whether you’re a composer working on a piece of music that was written a century ago, or you’re an actor on stage, reinterpreting a play, it’s very common these days. Directors take on great works of cinema, actors reinterpret roles, that’s been going on for a great deal of time. From Scarface to Hamlet. In some ways it’s really interesting to reinterpret, redefine. It a weighty thing to do. But it’s exciting. The Joker is one of those roles,” Leto said. “He was written brilliantly when he was first shared with the world 75 years ago.”

He said that he “had to make it [his] own,” and ultimately, he’s “just really grateful [he] had the opportunity.”

(Lucas Spiegle’s article originally published in COMICBOOK.COM on March 31, 2016. HERE)

Jan 242016
 

SuicideSquaddateDirector David Ayer, had only praising words for Jared Leto’s Joker performance on the upcoming SUICIDE SQUAD movie, and thought there is just a little of the Joker still showing on the latest trailer, it is definitely promising performance.  Here is what Ayer had to say:

 

 

“It’s a scary character to tackle,” Suicide Squad director David Ayer says of Joker. “This iteration of him, people will realize there really is a continuity of history — there is a lot of respect for what the Joker represents, who he is as a character. He is the best-known villain in fiction, so there’s an incredible responsibility there to also be faithful to what he is but at the same time push him into this next world, next time, next phase.”

Ayer adds that “people kept their distance” from Leto when he was in 24/7 Joker mode. “I love helping actors find what methodology works best for them. It’s like tailoring a suit — it’s not one size fits all. But it really made an event when he would show up on set. There was almost a pageantry to him, which did translate into the power on screen he has.”

Leto even freaked out Ayer a few times.

“Big time. The hairs stand up on the back of your neck,” says the director, who grew up on the old 1960s Batman TV show. “If you’re a Batman fan, you have to love/hate the Joker because he’s the best nemesis ever. Just to have him on one of my film sets, it was a very memorable thing for me.”

What Leto brings to the Joker — the first on screen since the late Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning The Dark Knight baddie — is a fearless nature, Snyder says.

“The commitment to the role, you’re going to see that really shine through in a way that you’re not used to seeing actors in movies really go all the way with (in) every little moment and every little breath,” Snyder says. “You’re going to get taken on a journey with Jared that I don’t know that everyone’s ready for but I think it will be amazing.”

(Original interview appeared on the USATODAY HERE. Check it out)

Oct 302015
 

Here is a transcript of the article from EMPIRE MAGAZINE where Jared Leto was interviewed regarding his Joker portrayal in the movie SUICIDE SQUAD to be release in 2016…

EmpireJokerCVR02

Glimpsed on Instagram, teaser in the trailer and much discussed online, Suicide Squad‘s Joker has remained tantalising unknowable – up to now. The new issue of Empire pokes through the bars of Arkham Asylum and lays bare the nuts and bolts of Jared Leto’s wild-eyed reimagining of DC’s supervillain. Nuts, of course, being the operative word for this character.

“There was definitely a period of… detachment,” the actor tells us of his immersion in Suicide Squad’s wild-eyed outsider. “I took a pretty deep dive. But this was a unique opportunity and I couldn’t imagine doing it another way. It was fun, playing those psychological games.” When quizzed on exactly how arduous that process was, Leto unleashes an allusion you’re unlikely to hear from, say, Tom Hanks anytime soon. “It was painful, like giving birth out of my prick-hole.” Ouch.

The role of the Joker in David Ayer’s vivid, sure-to-be-ferocious imagining of the DC team-up is, Leto stresses, radically different from what’s gone before. “If you don’t break rules, you’re not going to strike new ground,” he explains. You can bring your pencils out again, although there’ll be plenty of other ways for this Joker to inflict pain.

Director David Ayer pays fulsome tribute to his star in the piece. “There’s a power to that character,” he elaborates in Empire, “and by some freaking miracle, through the incredible things Jared has done and the photography and all the other things that went into it, we’ve cooked up something transcendent.” So how dark does this Joker get? “He’s scary.”

Surprisingly, perhaps, producer Charles Roven pitches this new Joker as “more social” than those that have gone before. Besides being a sociopath, Roven explains that this Joker is “a very successful and smart businessman”, hinting at another hitherto unseen side of the man. Maybe a man who, beneath the psychic wounds, has something to offer Lex Luthor in due course?

The new issue of Empire – on newsstands on Thursday, October 29 – opens up this anarchic comic-book world in fine style. Head here for a look at its four lead character across five dazzling new covers.

(Original article by Phil De Semlyen appeared in EMPIRE MAGAZINE ONLINE HERE)

Oct 302015
 

Empire Magazine is releasing this month’s  magazine with covers depicting the cast of the upcoming SUICIDE CAST and include images of Jared Leto’s Joker, Harley Quinn, Dead Shot, and Enchantress… Click on the thumbnails for more covers.

EmpireJokerCVR02

EmpireJokerCVR01

EmpireHQCVR01EmpireDeadshotCVR01EmpireEnchantressCVR01

 

 

 

 

Jul 182015
 

NRjrbjtEIb05_18aIl_VuimGKN7nG32FfLA04oKWOCsI personally have stayed away of making final judgments on the Jared Leto’s performance and looks, just because the information available is kind of patchy and sparse. Still, I find this is an interesting little article that appeared in CINEMABLEND.COM comparing what we have seen from Jared Leto’s Joker with previous performances depicting the Clown Prince of Crime. The article, written by Mike Reyes covers all the Joker appearances since Cesar Romero and includes the animated version as well.  Enjoy the report (my comments are added in green and in parentheses):

With the first trailer for Suicide Squad being leaked out of Comic Con, it’s hard not to get excited about David Ayer’s entry into the DC cinematic realm. One aspect in particular that had audiences pleasantly surprised is the first official appearance of Jared Leto’s incarnation of The Joker. One of the reasons we’re so pleased with what we’ve seen is the fact that David Ayer’s Joker is familiar to die hard fans, yet different enough that everyone has something new to look forward to. With that in mind, join us as we take a look at Jared Leto’s Joker as he compares to the Jokers of the past.

1.  The Voice

If there was any one influence that could be singled out for Jared Leto’s vocal performance as The Joker, it would have to be Heath Ledger. While Cesar Romero and Mark Hamill took lighter pitched approaches to the clown prince of crime’s dialogue, Jack Nicholson started the trend of adding a more psychotic tinge to Joker’s one liners. While Nicholson still camped it up to a certain degree, he made the Joker a man to be reckoned with, and that’s something that even Hamill’s interpretation would build off of.

Of course, Ledger was the first to get truly disturbed with his voice, and Leto seems to follow a similar pattern of speech and cadence. The big difference in Jared Leto’s vocals though is that his laugh is more deliberate and drawn out. If anything, it almost sounds like a laugh being pushed through a sensation of physical pain, as opposed to the giddy or manic laughs his predecessors have displayed.  

(Definitely agree that Leto is pulling inspiration from Heath Ledger’s iconic Joker voice, but I’m not so sure that he is as effective.  Of course, it is very limited what we have heard the Joker say to draw a conclusion, but in my opinion, psychotic or not, Joker has always had a combination of wit, perverse and twisted sense of humor mingle with a sincere and terrifying sense of dread in his voice.  He is the Clown in your nightmares after all.  Unfortunately I think I will have to hear more of the dialogue to see if he is able to hit the Joker core.)

 

2.  The Clothing

The Joker in Suicide Squad is more of a fashion plate than any other portrayal. With Cesar Romero, all the way through to Jack Nicholson and Mark Hamill, The Joker has been a man of more gawdy tastes. Think of a tuxedo by way of a circus sideshow, and you’ve got The Joker’s usual flare for the theatrical. Heath Ledger, on the other hand, had a slicker look once he robbed the mob of their money – opting for a three piece suit that still flashed with The Joker’s signature mindset, but bringing him closer to reality in the process.

Jared Leto’s costume, from the snips we’ve seen in set photos, is definitely more of an ensemble of modern glitz. With a shiny suit and a nice red shirt, this Joker isn’t standing on ceremony. The absence of a necktie only further accentuates this nightclub-ready Joker. Not to mention, his Joker is so jacked we’re going to see him shirtless in Suicide Squad, making Leto the first Beefcake Joker we’ve ever laid eyes on.

(I’ve said it before, this Joker definitely makes a fashion statement on the screen.  Love the way Reyes calls his look as “night-club-ready Joker” it definitely suits the Clown well.  From what we have seen, there is definitely a departure from the classic purple tux to a much more modern look.  And with the Joker’s new  set of wheels (a bright purple Lamborghini with gold trims), this Joker promises to be also extravagant on its tastes (come on, like nobody is going to recognize that car as the Joker’s ride…)

 

3.  The Hair

Much like the costumes worn by the various Jokers in DC’s cinematic history, the hair is an integral piece that’s developed over the ages with the character. Cesar Romero and Jack Nicholson really didn’t alter their hairstyles all that much for their incarnations of the role, except for the coloring. Both gentlemen had a light green that could stand out, but didn’t pop too much when set against anything other than the pale face of The Joker. Even Heath Ledger’s hair wasn’t particularly eye popping, but it was still noticeable as his incarnation for stringy, unwashed hair with an imperfect dye job.

Jared Leto’s Joker stands out like a neon sign that says, “Look at me!” Not only is his hair a bright, eye-catching green that you’d have seen on Nickelodeon in the 1990’s, but it’s also trimmed and extremely neat. Combined with the costuming choices they’ve made for his character, we can’t help but notice that Zack Snyder must have had some influence on the project, as this Joker reminds us of the one Frank Miller gave us in The Dark Knight Returns. In other words, the nice suit and the well-coiffed hair are mere distractions from the insanity that lies within.

(Interesting point Reyes makes here, about the nice suit and well coiffed hair as distractions of the insanity within, but in my humble opinion, the neon green color is just a tad too much for this character.  Why not go with a toned down green like Cesar Romero or even copy the green color from the graphic novel that Snyder seems to be influenced by?  I don’t know, it’s just…not attractive.  In my opinion it is distracting and turns the Clown into a caricature, taking away part of his presence.  Just like those gazillion of tattoos… it;s simply too much)

 

4.  The Makeup

Of course, when we talk about The Joker, the one thing we can never forget to discuss is the makeup. It’s a factor so key to the character’s background that you can tell what type of maniac the filmmakers are going for when you take a closer look. Heath Ledger has, of course, become iconic in his own right for the Nolan trilogy’s usage of a Joker whose makeup is as sloppy as his emotional state. But the character had always been a sort of traditionalist through the Romero/Nicholson/Hamill era. The only real deviation was the face that was wearing it.

Yet here comes Jared Leto’s Joker, with a look that both stands out and blends in. It stands out because the shades he uses do stand out when lit correctly. His red lips in particular stand out among the tattoos and the eye makeup he employs in his appearance. The big difference though is the white foundation the character has been known to use. In Suicide Squad, it doesn’t look like he depends on it all that much, as the glimpses we get of him in the trailer make him look more naturally pale than any other Joker out there. He may have less makeup, but that just makes his natural pallor all the freakier to look at.

(I personally like the idea of the whole body pallor.  It suits the Clown much better as it goes more in accordance with his origin.  Romero and Nicholson’s makeup was definitely that of the circus clown, and Ledger’s was more of the “war paint” referred to  in the Dark Knight prologue.  Leto’s makeup is more atoned with reality of what could happen to your skin after an acid bath.  What unfortunately for me takes away from the whole makeup is not necessarily the presence of the tattoos (which I’ve stated before thought was a great idea) but the fact that they were TOO MANY, poorly selected and some are even poorly placed.  Maybe moderation was the key word here.  The lipstick red lips I imagine are inspired in Dark Knight Returns, and suits this character, and one thing that is really freaky is the lack of eyebrows.  Another thing that I think is just filler without real purpose is the presence of the metal grill in his mouth.  Makes the Joker look more like the street pimp with no sense of fashion and just wants to show off.  I don’t know.  So far it really does not call me yet.)

I’ll simply wait for the release of the movie to make my mind.)

 

Jul 152015
 

219e0e8f76c44732556765f51fb7606eI know, I’m a few days late, but I have been busy and to tell you the truth, though I don’t want to run an early judgement with just a few seconds of footage, it’s hard for me not to get disappointed in the direction SUICIDE SQUAD is taking Joker and Harley Quinn.  I’m a big fan of the Clown, but Suicide Squad’s Joker seems like a bad idea from the beginning  at least for me (and I don’t know who to blame).  My only hope is that Mr. Leto’s talent  would be able to salvage this incarnation of the CLOWN PRINCE OF CRIME and make it memorable.  I shall wait patiently for more footage to make a more educated opinion on the subject.

Please don’t take my opinion as the word of God on the subject.  I’m supplying the popular trailer from SDCC so you can make your own opinion on the subject.

Jul 052015
 

Yep, I might not like his tattoos or his grill or even his electric green hair, but one thing that Jared Leto’s Joker can do real good is dress well.  This new version has some serious sense of fashion, keeping his bright colored palette while adding a modernistic touch to the Clown Prince of Crime’s wardrobe.  So far from what I have seen of this Joker I do like the way he dresses…sadly this might be the only thing I like of him…for now.

NRjrbjtEIb05_18aIl_VuimGKN7nG32FfLA04oKWOCs