Page 2: Jared Leto
The Next Johnny Depp
The rise of Jared Leto's career is similar to that of another devastatingly
handsome and intensely serious actor: Johnny
Depp. Depp is from a small town in Kentucky; Leto hails from Bossier City,
Louisiana. Both actors got their start on television. Depp was first known as
a teen idol thanks to his role on 21 Jump Street. Jared Leto starred
opposite Claire Danes on My So-Called Life. In addition to acting, they
both have played around with the role of rock star. Depp has been the lead singer
in a series of bands. Leto plays guitar for 30
Minutes to Mars. Their romantic lives have been highly publicized: Johnny
Depp made the press with relationships with actress Winona Ryder and supermodels
before settling down with French singer/actress Vanessa Paradis. Leto is following
in these footsteps: first it was soap star Kristi
McDaniel, and for the past year, he has been dating superstar Carmeron
Diaz.
What is the point of all this comparison? Johnny Depp is one of the most interesting actors working today. He did not allow himself to be typecast for his looks: he's been in a wide range of risky films, from Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man to Terry Gilliam's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Jared Leto displays the same potential.
Jared Leto's most successful film to date was the the 1998 teen horror picture Urban Legend. It's also probably his least interesting. In his short career, Leto has worked with numerous acclaimed directors, including the legendary Terrence Malik in The Thin Red Line (1998). In 1999, he was the eerily handsome disciple Angel Face in David Fincher's cult classic Fight Club. Earlier this spring, Leto starred in another controversial independent release: Mary Haron's adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' novel American Psycho.
Yes, Jared Leto is pretty. Very pretty. But don't expect him to fall back on his looks.
Related Links:
- Jared Leto Page
- IMDB Filmography
- Erin's Jared Leto Page
- Movie Thing: Jared Leto
- A Plate of Jared Leto
picture courtesy of Artisan Films.
