There are very few in Hollywood who would go to extreme lengths for a role. Nothing is off-limits for them, be it extreme diets, complete physical transformation, or changing into a whole new persona. Jared Leto is one such actor who has never shied away from completely immersing himself in his characters and going to the extreme to do justice to the role.
When preparing for the biographical movie Chapter 27, Leto decided to gain weight instead of just putting on a fat suit to feel closer to the character. However, his extreme dedication to the role led to doctors declaring that he would kill himself if he put on any more weight.
Jared Leto Gained Massive Weight For Chapter 27
Chapter 27 is a movie based on the murder of John Legend. It depicts the true story of his murder by his stalker Mark David Chapman, played by Jared Leto. Feeling the importance of retelling this story, Leto decided to take the extreme step of gaining weight, despite his vegetarian diet.
“I really wanted to inhabit this guy’s skin, and that effected the way I stood, walked, and moved. I wanted to make it clear that this was someone who felt very isolated from people, who shyed away from human contact.”
This helped him understand the state of mind David Chapman would have had and enabled him to gain inspiration for the role he was expected to play. At the same time, the extreme weight gain resulted in doctors telling the Oscar-winning actor that he was putting himself at risk of collapse.
“I almost wish that I had made a film about the making of the film because it was definitely a super-sized version of Super Size Me. It was doctors telling me I needed to stop, that I was going to kill myself, my cholesterol shooting up to 300-something points — which is bad. They wanted to put me on Lipitor and all kinds of medication.”
While we appreciate Leto’s dedication to the role, it is worth mentioning that no actor should put their life at risk for any role.
The Actor Suffered Mentally During The Shoot Of Chapter 27
To get into the role of Mark David Chapman, Jared Leto‘s dedication took him to the brink of a mental breakdown. The actor refused to speak to anyone during the shoot to stay in character 24/7. He further experienced mockery and rejection due to his extreme physical transformation, which further helped him understand the mental state of his character. Speaking to Sundance, he once remarked,
“Also, being overweight, I felt the rejection and mockery of people who didn’t know that I was just playing a part. Their response to me as an overweight and unattractive guy, just made me realize how isolated he felt, how unloved and how untouched by human beings. I kind of turned into a sculpture.”
Despite his commitment and effort, the film failed to garner audience and critic attention and left a spot on the eccentric actor’s career.
You can rent Chapter 27 on Amazon Instant Video.
Source: Showbiz CheatSheet
