Jared Leto Went Peak Method and Blinded Himself for ‘Blade Runner 2049’
For Jared Leto so loved the world that he gave his eyesight so that whosoever sees Blade Runner 2049 shall enjoy a quality performance. That’s right: Your boy Jared Leto is at it again. According to director Denis Villeneuve, Leto was so committed to his role in Blade Runner 2049 that he made himself blind for the whole shoot. Ever the humble cinema servant, Leto downplays it like blinding yourself is no big deal.
To be fair, it’s certainly nothing compared to sending your co-stars dead animals and used condoms, which is kind of insane, right? The Leto doth protest too much in this Wall Street Journal profile, in which he says he “didn’t dive as deep down the rabbit hole” as he has in the past (ahem), adding, “I’m crazy, but I’m not insane.” Sure, Jare.
Meanwhile, his director / hype man Denis Villeneuve was absolutely effusive about Leto’s “insane” performance as the villainous Replicant-maker Niander Wallace in the upcoming Blade Runner sequel. Leto wore custom opaque contact lenses throughout the entire shoot, bringing “a boost of energy, tension and excitement” to the set, according to Villeneuve.
It’s hard to decide which part of this choice quote is the choicest, but I’m gonna go ahead and say it’s the moment when Villeneuve compares Leto to JESUS CHRIST:
We all heard stories about Jared, how he transforms into the characters, but even this didn’t prepare me for what was to come. He entered the room, and he could not see at all. He was walking with an assistant, very slowly. It was like seeing Jesus walking into a temple. Everybody became super silent, and there was a kind of sacred moment. Everyone was in awe. It was so beautiful and powerful—I was moved to tears. And that was just a camera test!
Has Villeneuve seen Leto perform with his band 30 Seconds to Mars? Dude has been straight-up cultivating an aesthetic that is entirely “hipster Jesus in fine embroidered fabrics.” I feel like maybe comparing Leto to a messianic figure is just enabling him. (But I’m 100 percent on board for this delightful ongoing Leto s— show, so I fully endorse Villeneuve’s ego-feeding.)
Blade Runner 2049 hits theaters on October 6.