WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.660 Welcome back to the Deep Dive, where we take 00:00:02.660 --> 00:00:05.139 your stack of information and turn it into actionable, 00:00:05.259 --> 00:00:08.740 compelling knowledge. And today's stack is, well, 00:00:08.779 --> 00:00:10.779 it's a really fascinating one. It really is. 00:00:11.060 --> 00:00:14.320 Today, we are attempting to map the brain of 00:00:14.320 --> 00:00:17.760 a true extremist polymath. That's the perfect 00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:20.120 term for him. We're talking about an individual 00:00:20.120 --> 00:00:23.120 whose career, I mean, it's been a three decade 00:00:23.120 --> 00:00:26.059 long pull toward the absolute edge of human endeavor. 00:00:26.399 --> 00:00:31.329 We are diving into the complex dual life. It's 00:00:31.329 --> 00:00:33.409 arguably one of the most fascinating files we've 00:00:33.409 --> 00:00:35.450 ever assembled. Why do you say that? Because 00:00:35.450 --> 00:00:38.109 you just so rarely see a career path that operates 00:00:38.109 --> 00:00:40.689 at such high volume with such, you know, intensity 00:00:40.689 --> 00:00:43.670 in two completely separate spheres. Hollywood 00:00:43.670 --> 00:00:47.030 blockbuster cinema and stadium rock music. Exactly. 00:00:47.130 --> 00:00:49.530 And the central paradox we're tackling today 00:00:49.530 --> 00:00:52.590 is just how one person manages that balancing 00:00:52.590 --> 00:00:54.810 act. It's an act of extremes. Total extremes. 00:00:54.909 --> 00:00:57.789 On one hand, you have the highest critical praise. 00:00:57.890 --> 00:00:59.869 We're talking an Academy Award. On the other, 00:00:59.969 --> 00:01:01.990 you have, well, the lowest of the low. The golden 00:01:01.990 --> 00:01:05.060 raspberry for worst actor. For Morbius. Right. 00:01:05.099 --> 00:01:07.180 And all of that is happening while he's also 00:01:07.180 --> 00:01:10.140 leading a massive, globally successful rock band, 00:01:10.319 --> 00:01:13.620 30 Seconds to Mars, that sold over 15 million 00:01:13.620 --> 00:01:17.040 albums. So that's the mission for us today. And 00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:19.280 it's a complicated one. We need to extract the 00:01:19.280 --> 00:01:22.560 crucial insights into his highly unusual methodology. 00:01:23.079 --> 00:01:25.500 Yeah, this isn't just about listing facts. No, 00:01:25.540 --> 00:01:28.340 not at all. We are analyzing the mindset. What 00:01:28.340 --> 00:01:30.879 is it that drives this artistic process, the 00:01:30.879 --> 00:01:34.040 entrepreneurial spirit? And yes, the public controversies 00:01:34.040 --> 00:01:36.079 that seem to follow him like a sonic boom. It's 00:01:36.079 --> 00:01:37.799 the big question, isn't it? Is he an immersive 00:01:37.799 --> 00:01:41.040 artist dedicated to his craft at any cost? Or 00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:43.459 is he a calculated provocateur who's just seeking 00:01:43.459 --> 00:01:46.180 maximum control and attention? We need to find 00:01:46.180 --> 00:01:48.379 the thread that connects all these disparate 00:01:48.379 --> 00:01:51.379 parts. And to set the stage formally, Leto is 00:01:51.379 --> 00:01:54.120 an American actor and musician. He was born December 00:01:54.120 --> 00:01:58.099 26, 1971, in Bossier City, Louisiana. So he's 00:01:58.099 --> 00:02:01.090 53 right now. Correct. And when you really zoom 00:02:01.090 --> 00:02:03.909 in on his career file, what defines him are two 00:02:03.909 --> 00:02:06.269 signatures that just feed off one another. Okay, 00:02:06.310 --> 00:02:09.789 what are they? First, the extreme immersive method 00:02:09.789 --> 00:02:12.250 acting approach he applies to, I mean, virtually 00:02:12.250 --> 00:02:15.310 all his major roles. And the second? The expansive, 00:02:15.430 --> 00:02:18.830 often eccentric, sage persona and the total creative 00:02:18.830 --> 00:02:22.210 control he adopts as the front man of 30STM. 00:02:22.330 --> 00:02:25.599 And the proof of concept is, well... it's undeniable 00:02:25.599 --> 00:02:28.020 he has the academy award he's got a golden globe 00:02:28.020 --> 00:02:30.400 for acting and the band has massive commercial 00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:34.000 success globally but to understand this relentless 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:36.520 boundary pushing nature of his work we have to 00:02:36.520 --> 00:02:39.370 start at the very beginning Where did this intense 00:02:39.370 --> 00:02:42.069 drive to perform and transform even come from? 00:02:42.210 --> 00:02:44.009 We have to start with the genesis because the 00:02:44.009 --> 00:02:46.009 environment he grew up in seems to have fundamentally 00:02:46.009 --> 00:02:49.409 set this pattern, this pattern of nonconformity, 00:02:49.409 --> 00:02:53.150 mobility, and blurring the lines between life 00:02:53.150 --> 00:02:55.210 and art. Okay, so he was born in Bossier City, 00:02:55.349 --> 00:02:57.409 Louisiana. That's right. His mother, Constance 00:02:57.409 --> 00:03:00.750 Leto, has Cajun ancestry. And Leto, that's actually 00:03:00.750 --> 00:03:02.610 his stepfather's surname. So right there, you 00:03:02.610 --> 00:03:05.189 already have a hint of a somewhat fragmented 00:03:05.189 --> 00:03:07.969 or non -traditional family structure. And stability 00:03:07.969 --> 00:03:09.990 certainly wasn't a feature of his early life. 00:03:10.050 --> 00:03:12.629 Not at all. Far from it. The family was highly 00:03:12.629 --> 00:03:15.030 mobile. They moved around frequently because 00:03:15.030 --> 00:03:17.270 his maternal grandfather was in the Air Force. 00:03:17.509 --> 00:03:19.490 And he later said that was just normal for him. 00:03:19.610 --> 00:03:22.900 He described it as a normal way of life. And 00:03:22.900 --> 00:03:25.780 this constant relocation is a really crucial 00:03:25.780 --> 00:03:29.199 piece of context because it demands hyper -adaptability. 00:03:29.500 --> 00:03:31.360 You have to learn how to fit in fast. It fosters 00:03:31.360 --> 00:03:34.180 a survival skill, the ability to assimilate, 00:03:34.280 --> 00:03:37.560 to observe, and to quickly embody a new environment, 00:03:37.800 --> 00:03:40.419 which is fundamentally what method acting requires. 00:03:40.900 --> 00:03:42.780 But against this background of constant movement, 00:03:42.979 --> 00:03:46.520 there's this profound early tragedy. A huge one. 00:03:46.699 --> 00:03:49.879 His father died by suicide when Jared was only 00:03:49.879 --> 00:03:53.000 eight years old. Wow. And this traumatic event 00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:55.379 occurred right alongside an intense immersion 00:03:55.379 --> 00:03:58.039 in the arts, which was really driven by his mother. 00:03:58.139 --> 00:04:00.439 His mother, Constance. Exactly. She was a force. 00:04:00.620 --> 00:04:03.300 She joined the hippie movement and actively encouraged 00:04:03.300 --> 00:04:05.919 her sons, Jared and his older brother, Shannon. 00:04:06.159 --> 00:04:08.300 Who would become the band's drummer. That's the 00:04:08.300 --> 00:04:11.219 one. She encouraged them to treat creative expression 00:04:11.219 --> 00:04:14.680 as paramount. Leto himself described this environment 00:04:14.680 --> 00:04:17.639 as being raised around artists, musicians, photographers, 00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:20.560 painters, and people that were in theater. So 00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:23.060 the line between normal life and performance 00:04:23.060 --> 00:04:26.060 art was essentially... What, just gone from childhood? 00:04:26.300 --> 00:04:28.399 Completely eradicated. He noted, and this is 00:04:28.399 --> 00:04:30.879 a quote, just having the art communal hippie 00:04:30.879 --> 00:04:33.579 experience as a child, there wasn't a clear line 00:04:33.579 --> 00:04:36.480 that was drawn. We celebrated creative experience 00:04:36.480 --> 00:04:39.220 and creative expression. That feels like the 00:04:39.220 --> 00:04:41.819 key psychological insight right there. It's everything. 00:04:41.980 --> 00:04:44.139 If your childhood environment explicitly taught 00:04:44.139 --> 00:04:46.319 you that creative expression has no boundaries, 00:04:46.660 --> 00:04:49.220 why would you ever establish boundaries in your 00:04:49.220 --> 00:04:51.740 professional adult life? Right. It provides the 00:04:51.740 --> 00:04:53.879 framework for why he would later spend six months 00:04:53.879 --> 00:04:56.800 in character or risk his health for a role. Exactly. 00:04:56.800 --> 00:04:59.540 It also explains his initial academic path, which 00:04:59.540 --> 00:05:02.000 was, you know, equally unconventional and driven 00:05:02.000 --> 00:05:04.139 by the visual arts. Yeah, that was surprising. 00:05:04.339 --> 00:05:06.860 It was decisive and it really reflects his later 00:05:06.860 --> 00:05:09.720 pivot heavy career. He briefly dropped out in 00:05:09.720 --> 00:05:12.100 the 10th grade, which shows an initial friction 00:05:12.100 --> 00:05:14.629 with traditional structure. But he went back. 00:05:14.769 --> 00:05:16.889 He did, attending Emerson Preparatory School 00:05:16.889 --> 00:05:20.069 in D .C. But his first serious academic focus 00:05:20.069 --> 00:05:22.990 was not acting or music. It was large -scale 00:05:22.990 --> 00:05:25.850 visual art at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. 00:05:26.269 --> 00:05:28.670 A completely different field. So what triggered 00:05:28.670 --> 00:05:31.790 this shift? Why move toward narrative performance? 00:05:32.269 --> 00:05:35.949 It was the need for directorial control. He pivoted, 00:05:35.949 --> 00:05:38.970 and he pivoted quickly. He developed this intense 00:05:38.970 --> 00:05:41.470 interest in filmmaking and transferred to the 00:05:41.470 --> 00:05:43.740 School of Visual Arts in New York City. And he 00:05:43.740 --> 00:05:46.439 started creating right away. Immediately. While 00:05:46.439 --> 00:05:48.639 he was still a student, he showed his demand 00:05:48.639 --> 00:05:51.519 for total creative command by writing and starring 00:05:51.519 --> 00:05:54.220 in his own short film, Crying Joy. And he also 00:05:54.220 --> 00:05:56.079 attended the Corcoran School of the Arts and 00:05:56.079 --> 00:05:58.639 Design. Yes. The ambition was always there to 00:05:58.639 --> 00:06:01.379 create the whole world, not just, you know. inhabit 00:06:01.379 --> 00:06:04.060 a small part of it. That directing bug was present 00:06:04.060 --> 00:06:06.660 from day one. This ambition to direct is actually 00:06:06.660 --> 00:06:08.920 the perfect bridge to his career in front of 00:06:08.920 --> 00:06:11.259 the camera. It really is. When he moved to Los 00:06:11.259 --> 00:06:14.839 Angeles in 1992, his goal was directorial success. 00:06:15.639 --> 00:06:17.699 Acting roles were explicitly something he was 00:06:17.699 --> 00:06:19.879 just taking on the side. Talk about a world -class 00:06:19.879 --> 00:06:21.899 side hustle. Seriously. It was a side hustle 00:06:21.899 --> 00:06:24.699 that immediately defined him. His first true 00:06:24.699 --> 00:06:29.019 break came in 1994 when he was cast as the perpetually 00:06:29.019 --> 00:06:31.259 brooding, unforgettable high school love interest, 00:06:31.500 --> 00:06:34.139 Jordan Catalano. Opposite Claire Danes in my 00:06:34.139 --> 00:06:37.129 so -called life. The one and only. The show itself 00:06:37.129 --> 00:06:40.029 was critically acclaimed. And despite being so 00:06:40.029 --> 00:06:42.550 short lived, it gained this powerful cult following 00:06:42.550 --> 00:06:45.930 that just cemented Leto as a cultural touchstone 00:06:45.930 --> 00:06:48.370 for a whole generation. From that launch pad, 00:06:48.550 --> 00:06:50.990 he transitioned so rapidly to supporting film 00:06:50.990 --> 00:06:53.689 roles and he showed an impressive eye for prestigious 00:06:53.689 --> 00:06:57.170 projects. Absolutely. We see his film debut in 00:06:57.170 --> 00:06:59.769 How to Make an American Quilt in 95, and then 00:06:59.769 --> 00:07:02.009 he gets these significant supporting roles in 00:07:02.009 --> 00:07:04.290 cinematic behemoths. Like the thin red line. 00:07:04.529 --> 00:07:06.990 Terrence Malick's war epic, yeah. He shared a 00:07:06.990 --> 00:07:09.009 satellite award with that incredible ensemble 00:07:09.009 --> 00:07:12.209 cast. And then maybe most memorably as the brutally 00:07:12.209 --> 00:07:14.930 beaten angel face in David Fincher's Fight Club. 00:07:15.329 --> 00:07:18.430 Unforgettable role. But before those iconic supporting 00:07:18.430 --> 00:07:21.170 turns, the file suggests that his true commitment 00:07:21.170 --> 00:07:23.879 to the craft The first real sign of the extreme 00:07:23.879 --> 00:07:28.060 method was demonstrated in the 1997 biopic Prefontaine. 00:07:28.180 --> 00:07:31.199 That's where the immersion truly began. To play 00:07:31.199 --> 00:07:34.019 the pioneering long -distance runner Steve Prefontaine, 00:07:34.199 --> 00:07:37.279 Leto just dove headfirst into the research phase. 00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:39.800 And the preparation was intense. It involved 00:07:39.800 --> 00:07:42.860 a grueling six weeks of training to adapt his 00:07:42.860 --> 00:07:45.399 physique and his running gait. But crucially... 00:07:45.819 --> 00:07:48.199 He immersed himself in the source material by 00:07:48.199 --> 00:07:50.480 meeting extensively with Prefontaine's family 00:07:50.480 --> 00:07:53.019 and friends to absorb the essence of the man. 00:07:53.199 --> 00:07:55.319 So it wasn't just physical adaptation, it was 00:07:55.319 --> 00:07:58.060 psychological assimilation. Precisely. He adopted 00:07:58.060 --> 00:08:00.560 Prefontaine's distinct voice and that famously 00:08:00.560 --> 00:08:03.220 upright running style, and critics took notice 00:08:03.220 --> 00:08:05.779 immediately. What did they say? Well, Peter Stack 00:08:05.779 --> 00:08:08.379 in the San Francisco Chronicle praised how Leto 00:08:08.379 --> 00:08:10.920 captured the runner's rock star style and his 00:08:10.920 --> 00:08:13.759 brash confrontational style. He noted that he 00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:16.040 used his hypnotic blue eyes and dirty blonde 00:08:16.040 --> 00:08:18.680 hair to channel the athlete's intensity. So this 00:08:18.680 --> 00:08:20.879 was the moment the industry realized Leto wasn't 00:08:20.879 --> 00:08:23.560 just performing roles. He was becoming them. 00:08:23.740 --> 00:08:26.459 And that transformation led directly to the decade 00:08:26.459 --> 00:08:30.079 of extremes where method acting became less a 00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:32.960 process of character research and more a feat 00:08:32.960 --> 00:08:35.399 of physical and psychological. endurance. Which 00:08:35.399 --> 00:08:38.620 brings us to the seminal example, Darren Aronofsky's 00:08:38.620 --> 00:08:42.879 2000 masterpiece, Requiem for a Dream. Oh, this 00:08:42.879 --> 00:08:45.120 one is tough. For his role as the heroin addict 00:08:45.120 --> 00:08:48.179 Harry Goldfarb, the preparation was just staggering. 00:08:48.519 --> 00:08:51.259 To get that emaciated look of an addict, Leto 00:08:51.259 --> 00:08:54.139 starved himself for months. He lost 28 pounds. 00:08:54.279 --> 00:08:56.299 But the physical transformation was only part 00:08:56.299 --> 00:08:59.320 of it. Only part of it. To simulate the alienation 00:08:59.320 --> 00:09:01.440 and the craving, he lived on the streets of New 00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:04.139 York City, deliberately isolating himself. And 00:09:04.139 --> 00:09:06.179 he took it even further. Yeah, and this is perhaps 00:09:06.179 --> 00:09:08.419 the most revealing thing about his internal process. 00:09:08.539 --> 00:09:11.360 He refrained from all forms of sex for two months, 00:09:11.379 --> 00:09:14.159 both before and during the shoot. That kind of 00:09:14.159 --> 00:09:16.519 total deprivation goes so far beyond aesthetics. 00:09:16.860 --> 00:09:19.519 That is, self -inflicted psychological distress 00:09:19.519 --> 00:09:22.360 used as a tool for authenticity. But what was 00:09:22.360 --> 00:09:24.600 the cost of that? The physical and mental toll 00:09:24.600 --> 00:09:27.159 was so severe that immediately after filming 00:09:27.159 --> 00:09:29.440 wrapped, he couldn't just, you know, go home. 00:09:29.539 --> 00:09:31.799 He needed a transition. An intense, structured 00:09:31.799 --> 00:09:34.620 transition back to reality. He moved to Portugal 00:09:34.620 --> 00:09:36.659 and lived in a monastery for several months, 00:09:36.860 --> 00:09:39.559 explicitly to gain the weight back and stabilize 00:09:39.559 --> 00:09:42.320 his physical and mental state. And critics recognized 00:09:42.320 --> 00:09:45.620 that sacrifice. They did. They praised his emotional 00:09:45.620 --> 00:09:49.299 courage, saying he excelled by going beyond Harry's 00:09:49.299 --> 00:09:52.100 gaunt look to capture his grieving heart and 00:09:52.100 --> 00:09:54.929 finding a rare poignancy in the character's downfall. 00:09:55.090 --> 00:09:57.370 That level of sacrifice is just astonishing. 00:09:57.649 --> 00:10:00.450 But if Requiem was about subtraction, he topped 00:10:00.450 --> 00:10:02.509 it in the mid -2000s with a role of addition. 00:10:02.809 --> 00:10:06.049 For Chapter 27 in 2007, where he portrayed John 00:10:06.049 --> 00:10:09.190 Lennon's murderer, Mark David Chapman. A brutal 00:10:09.190 --> 00:10:12.129 physical swing, and in many ways an even more 00:10:12.129 --> 00:10:14.429 dangerous commitment. Absolutely. To approximate 00:10:14.429 --> 00:10:17.509 the killer's isolated, sedentary physique, Leto 00:10:17.509 --> 00:10:21.149 gained an extreme 67 pounds. 67. And the process 00:10:21.149 --> 00:10:24.129 was agonizingly quick. He relied on interviews 00:10:24.129 --> 00:10:26.570 and audio tapes of Chapman, but the physical 00:10:26.570 --> 00:10:28.690 stress on his body was immediate and severe. 00:10:28.990 --> 00:10:31.509 He developed gout because of the sudden weight 00:10:31.509 --> 00:10:34.929 gain, correct? Yes. The metabolic shock caused 00:10:34.929 --> 00:10:37.509 gout, which is a painfully inflammatory form 00:10:37.509 --> 00:10:40.350 of arthritis. The stress was so great that he 00:10:40.350 --> 00:10:42.250 was actually forced to use a wheelchair because 00:10:42.250 --> 00:10:44.710 of the burden on his joints. I mean, this isn't 00:10:44.710 --> 00:10:47.110 just dedication. This borders on professional 00:10:47.110 --> 00:10:49.889 recklessness. It takes the idea of suffering 00:10:49.889 --> 00:10:52.509 for the art to an an entirely different, physically 00:10:52.509 --> 00:10:56.649 dangerous level. And yet, despite the risk, the 00:10:56.649 --> 00:11:00.309 critical payoff was huge. It was. Even though 00:11:00.309 --> 00:11:03.009 the film itself was divisive, Leto's performance 00:11:03.009 --> 00:11:05.929 was universally hailed as a triumph of physical 00:11:05.929 --> 00:11:07.649 transformation. What were some of the reviews 00:11:07.649 --> 00:11:09.710 like? Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly 00:11:09.710 --> 00:11:12.250 called it a genuine transformation, where Leto 00:11:12.250 --> 00:11:15.309 submerges himself in Chapman's couch potato flab. 00:11:15.409 --> 00:11:18.909 Leto disappears inside this angry, mouth -breathing 00:11:18.909 --> 00:11:21.799 psycho geek. So the consensus was he just captured 00:11:21.799 --> 00:11:25.080 the essence of isolation and delusion. Totally. 00:11:25.120 --> 00:11:27.299 And immediately after shooting, he had to reverse 00:11:27.299 --> 00:11:30.139 course again, relying on a liquid diet to shed 00:11:30.139 --> 00:11:32.100 the weight he had brutally forced himself to 00:11:32.100 --> 00:11:34.629 gain. Before reaching his institutional career 00:11:34.629 --> 00:11:37.570 peak, he took on a highly conceptual challenge 00:11:37.570 --> 00:11:40.929 in 2009 with Mr. Nobody. Right, which also required 00:11:40.929 --> 00:11:43.570 a very specific form of transformation. How so? 00:11:43.889 --> 00:11:46.990 Well, this role was conceptually complex. It 00:11:46.990 --> 00:11:49.730 required him to play Nemo Nobody from age 34 00:11:49.730 --> 00:11:53.830 all the way to 118, the last mortal man on Earth. 00:11:53.970 --> 00:11:56.049 So the physical requirement here wasn't weight, 00:11:56.169 --> 00:11:59.070 it was endurance. Exactly. Spending six hours 00:11:59.070 --> 00:12:02.779 daily in full prosthetic makeup. he had to develop 00:12:02.779 --> 00:12:05.700 and adopt the voice and cadence of a very old 00:12:05.700 --> 00:12:07.639 man. And the reviews picked up on that. They 00:12:07.639 --> 00:12:10.340 did. They noted how his acting talent managed 00:12:10.340 --> 00:12:12.440 to cut through the heavy makeup in the scenes 00:12:12.440 --> 00:12:15.240 as the dying elder, infusing the character with 00:12:15.240 --> 00:12:18.340 real, raw emotional power. It just showed that 00:12:18.340 --> 00:12:20.360 his method was adaptable. It could be used for 00:12:20.360 --> 00:12:23.080 conceptual roles as well as gritty realism. Which 00:12:23.080 --> 00:12:26.840 brings us to 2013, Dallas Buyers Club. This is 00:12:26.840 --> 00:12:29.220 the ultimate institutional validation of his 00:12:29.220 --> 00:12:31.120 method. This was the culmination of everything 00:12:31.120 --> 00:12:34.230 he had learned. He portrayed Rayon, a drug -addicted 00:12:34.230 --> 00:12:36.490 transgender woman with AIDS who develops this 00:12:36.490 --> 00:12:38.490 bond with Matthew McConaughey's character, Ron 00:12:38.490 --> 00:12:41.129 Woodruff. And the transformation was massive. 00:12:41.350 --> 00:12:44.610 Huge. He lost 30 pounds, shaved his eyebrows, 00:12:44.789 --> 00:12:48.090 waxed his entire body. But unlike his earlier, 00:12:48.129 --> 00:12:50.809 more internally focused methods, this one was 00:12:50.809 --> 00:12:53.409 deeply grounded in community respect. How do 00:12:53.409 --> 00:12:55.750 you mean? He stated that the portrayal was based 00:12:55.750 --> 00:12:58.110 on extensive research, meeting and consulting 00:12:58.110 --> 00:13:00.389 with transgender people while he was prepping 00:13:00.389 --> 00:13:03.129 for the role. And he refused to break character 00:13:03.129 --> 00:13:06.509 during the entire filming process. That immersion 00:13:06.509 --> 00:13:09.149 earned him the highest honors. That refusal to 00:13:09.149 --> 00:13:11.629 break character is the signature move of a true 00:13:11.629 --> 00:13:14.169 method actor. It ensures the creative dynamic 00:13:14.169 --> 00:13:17.549 on set remains intense and focused. And the performance 00:13:17.549 --> 00:13:19.889 earned him almost every major award that year. 00:13:20.029 --> 00:13:21.870 The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. 00:13:22.129 --> 00:13:25.090 The Golden Globe. The Screen Actors Guild Award. 00:13:25.549 --> 00:13:27.490 At this point, the public narrative was crystal 00:13:27.490 --> 00:13:30.870 clear. Jared Leto is an artist who achieves transcendence 00:13:30.870 --> 00:13:33.649 through profound transformative sacrifice. But 00:13:33.649 --> 00:13:36.889 the narrative shifts dramatically in 2016. It 00:13:36.889 --> 00:13:39.629 moves from critical praise to full -blown controversy 00:13:39.629 --> 00:13:42.129 with Suicide Squad and his portrayal of the Joker. 00:13:42.350 --> 00:13:44.470 Yes. The method stopped being a private tool 00:13:44.470 --> 00:13:47.129 and became a public performance. That is the 00:13:47.129 --> 00:13:49.909 crucial distinction. The methodology spilled 00:13:49.909 --> 00:13:53.009 off screen in a way that shocked the public and, 00:13:53.049 --> 00:13:56.210 critically, his co -stars. His preparation involved 00:13:56.210 --> 00:13:58.769 sending a series of unorthodox and, frankly, 00:13:58.870 --> 00:14:01.090 disturbing GIFs to the rest of the ensemble. 00:14:01.370 --> 00:14:03.450 We need to detail these GIFs because they are 00:14:03.450 --> 00:14:05.450 legendary. They became the defining anecdote 00:14:05.450 --> 00:14:07.470 of that entire production. They absolutely did. 00:14:07.570 --> 00:14:10.529 So the GIFs included live rats. Live rats. Co 00:14:10.529 --> 00:14:12.590 -star Margot Robbie stated she actually kept 00:14:12.590 --> 00:14:14.970 one as a pet until she was forced to rehome it. 00:14:15.090 --> 00:14:17.590 Wow. He sent bullets to members of the cast. 00:14:18.299 --> 00:14:21.379 Viola Davis, who played Amanda Waller, gave this 00:14:21.379 --> 00:14:24.539 vivid account of how Leto had a henchman come 00:14:24.539 --> 00:14:27.080 into the rehearsal room and drop a dead pig on 00:14:27.080 --> 00:14:29.340 the table. A dead pig. And she said, that was 00:14:29.340 --> 00:14:31.799 our introduction to Jared Leto. And at the time, 00:14:31.820 --> 00:14:34.899 Leto completely owned the shock value of this 00:14:34.899 --> 00:14:37.580 behavior. He was completely unapologetic. At 00:14:37.580 --> 00:14:40.679 the film's premiere in 2016, he amplified the 00:14:40.679 --> 00:14:42.980 strangeness, claiming in interviews that he also 00:14:42.980 --> 00:14:45.759 sent anal beads and used condoms to his co -stars. 00:14:45.840 --> 00:14:48.169 And what was his rationale? He offered a clear 00:14:48.169 --> 00:14:51.330 if controversial one. He said, I did a lot of 00:14:51.330 --> 00:14:53.669 things to create a dynamic, to create an element 00:14:53.669 --> 00:14:56.889 of surprise, of spontaneity, and to really break 00:14:56.889 --> 00:14:59.990 down any kind of walls that may be there. The 00:14:59.990 --> 00:15:01.610 Joker is somebody who doesn't really respect 00:15:01.610 --> 00:15:04.690 things like personal space or boundaries. So 00:15:04.690 --> 00:15:07.350 the boundary pushing method was explicitly used 00:15:07.350 --> 00:15:10.669 to justify professional provocation. But here's 00:15:10.669 --> 00:15:12.700 where the narrative gets complicated. Because 00:15:12.700 --> 00:15:15.840 he later walked those claims back. Exactly. Yes. 00:15:15.860 --> 00:15:18.220 And this is critical for understanding the calculation 00:15:18.220 --> 00:15:21.700 involved. Five years later, in a 2021 interview 00:15:21.700 --> 00:15:24.919 with Entertainment Weekly, Leto addressed these 00:15:24.919 --> 00:15:28.159 infamous claims directly. What did he say? He 00:15:28.159 --> 00:15:30.039 stated that the comments about the most explicit 00:15:30.039 --> 00:15:32.759 gifts. the anal beads and used condoms, were 00:15:32.759 --> 00:15:35.480 made in jest. He specifically claimed there were 00:15:35.480 --> 00:15:37.940 no used condoms and that most gifts were received 00:15:37.940 --> 00:15:40.360 with laughter, fun, and adventure. Wait a minute. 00:15:40.460 --> 00:15:42.960 He retracts the most sensational details, the 00:15:42.960 --> 00:15:45.440 ones that cause the most public outcry, but he 00:15:45.440 --> 00:15:48.659 keeps the narrative of the crazy method actor 00:15:48.659 --> 00:15:51.120 intact. That's right. Does that sound like genuine 00:15:51.120 --> 00:15:53.820 confusion or is that strategic damage control 00:15:53.820 --> 00:15:56.779 after the fact? It looks very much like strategic 00:15:56.779 --> 00:15:59.759 minimization. if the goal was to break down walls 00:15:59.759 --> 00:16:03.820 in 2016 the retraction in 2021 suggests he may 00:16:03.820 --> 00:16:06.200 have pushed the narrative too far but what he 00:16:06.200 --> 00:16:09.460 didn't retract was his defiant stance no he followed 00:16:09.460 --> 00:16:11.460 up the denial by saying i'm an artist at the 00:16:11.460 --> 00:16:13.720 end of the day if i do something risky and you 00:16:13.720 --> 00:16:16.779 don't like it basically you can kiss my ass so 00:16:16.779 --> 00:16:20.179 that defiant attitude confirms that the priority 00:16:20.179 --> 00:16:22.759 isn't consensus or comfort it's the artistic 00:16:22.759 --> 00:16:25.960 self -image regardless of the consequences and 00:16:25.960 --> 00:16:28.940 what does it tell us about his professional relationships 00:16:28.940 --> 00:16:31.539 that people like Will Smith claim they never 00:16:31.539 --> 00:16:34.240 actually met Jared Leto, only the Joker, for 00:16:34.240 --> 00:16:36.720 six months. It illustrates the immense emotional 00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:39.659 and practical toll his method takes on his collaborators. 00:16:40.059 --> 00:16:42.480 While the outcome for him is often critical attention, 00:16:42.899 --> 00:16:45.720 the cost is borne by everyone around him. So 00:16:45.720 --> 00:16:47.860 the Joker episode is the moment his method acting 00:16:47.860 --> 00:16:50.340 stopped being strictly internal suffering. And 00:16:50.340 --> 00:16:52.559 became a form of external performance designed 00:16:52.559 --> 00:16:55.529 to court public engagement and controversy. And 00:16:55.529 --> 00:16:58.049 since the Joker, his career has continued to 00:16:58.049 --> 00:17:01.309 swing wildly. It's defined by these intense roles 00:17:01.309 --> 00:17:04.269 that are either critically praised or commercially 00:17:04.269 --> 00:17:07.410 panned. He remains a polarizing, high -profile 00:17:07.410 --> 00:17:09.930 figure. He continued to deliver intense supporting 00:17:09.930 --> 00:17:12.609 roles like the mysterious Neander Wallace in 00:17:12.609 --> 00:17:15.630 Blade Runner 2049. And the chilling Albert Sparma 00:17:15.630 --> 00:17:17.769 in The Little Things. Right, which earned him 00:17:17.769 --> 00:17:20.950 Golden Globe and SAG nominations. He followed 00:17:20.950 --> 00:17:24.269 that with the highly stylized, nearly unrecognizable 00:17:24.269 --> 00:17:27.710 role of Paolo Gucci in Ridley Scott's House of 00:17:27.710 --> 00:17:30.579 Gucci. that got a lot of nominations. Critics' 00:17:30.579 --> 00:17:33.099 Choice, Satellite, yeah. And his work as Adam 00:17:33.099 --> 00:17:35.240 Neumann in the limited series We Crashed also 00:17:35.240 --> 00:17:37.700 earned him a Best Actor nomination. But then 00:17:37.700 --> 00:17:39.920 we hit the other side of the scale. Yeah. The 00:17:39.920 --> 00:17:42.180 definitive low point that illustrates the very 00:17:42.180 --> 00:17:44.779 paradox we started with. That would be the 2022 00:17:44.779 --> 00:17:47.779 film Morbius. Part of Sony's Spider -Man universe. 00:17:48.140 --> 00:17:50.559 And it was critically savaged. For this role, 00:17:50.740 --> 00:17:53.539 the same actor who won an Oscar for Total Transformation 00:17:53.539 --> 00:17:56.180 earned the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor. 00:17:56.420 --> 00:17:59.079 This contrast. just perfectly encapsulates the 00:17:59.079 --> 00:18:02.119 extremist polymath. When Lito is good, he achieves 00:18:02.119 --> 00:18:05.920 transcendence. When he misses, he misses spectacularly 00:18:05.920 --> 00:18:08.700 and publicly. His dedication to risk means his 00:18:08.700 --> 00:18:11.240 floor is as low as his ceiling is high. And the 00:18:11.240 --> 00:18:13.500 commitment to non -traditional performance continues 00:18:13.500 --> 00:18:16.359 to escalate, moving beyond the screen entirely. 00:18:16.799 --> 00:18:19.500 Like in 2023 when he scaled the Empire State 00:18:19.500 --> 00:18:21.819 Building. A brilliant piece of cross -promotion 00:18:21.819 --> 00:18:24.480 and a quintessential Lito stunt. Absolutely. 00:18:24.579 --> 00:18:27.359 He scaled the structure to promote his band's 00:18:27.359 --> 00:18:30.619 upcoming Seasons Tour. And why? because it merges 00:18:30.619 --> 00:18:34.039 his high -concept artistic persona, the stage 00:18:34.039 --> 00:18:36.400 spectacle, with his boundary -breaking impulse. 00:18:36.680 --> 00:18:38.759 It's a statement that his performance isn't limited 00:18:38.759 --> 00:18:42.069 to a movie set or a stage. The entire world is 00:18:42.069 --> 00:18:44.549 his theater, and his upcoming schedule confirms 00:18:44.549 --> 00:18:47.769 this trajectory of high concept roles. He's Ares 00:18:47.769 --> 00:18:50.950 in Tron, Ares for 2025, and notably he's been 00:18:50.950 --> 00:18:53.170 cast as Skeletor in the Masters of the Universe 00:18:53.170 --> 00:18:55.109 reboot. That'll be interesting. Scheduled for 00:18:55.109 --> 00:18:58.190 2026. That desire to constantly push boundaries 00:18:58.190 --> 00:19:00.670 and command control leads us perfectly to the 00:19:00.670 --> 00:19:03.809 second pillar of his professional life. The music. 00:19:03.890 --> 00:19:07.450 Ready seconds of Mars. Or 30 STM. Founded in 00:19:07.450 --> 00:19:10.509 1998 with his older brother Shannon. And this 00:19:10.509 --> 00:19:12.769 wasn't a celebrity vanity project. It was approached 00:19:12.769 --> 00:19:15.609 with the same intensity as his acting. What's 00:19:15.609 --> 00:19:17.490 truly remarkable is the condition he imposed 00:19:17.490 --> 00:19:20.190 early on. From the very inception of the band, 00:19:20.450 --> 00:19:23.549 Leto established a rule. what was it he prohibited 00:19:23.549 --> 00:19:25.990 using his hollywood status to promote the band 00:19:25.990 --> 00:19:30.309 at all at all this is a profound move it reveals 00:19:30.309 --> 00:19:33.750 an internal need for validation he wanted the 00:19:33.750 --> 00:19:36.470 band to succeed purely on the merit of its music 00:19:36.470 --> 00:19:39.210 isolating it entirely from the fame and recognition 00:19:39.210 --> 00:19:42.430 he had already earned as jordan catalano did 00:19:42.430 --> 00:19:44.650 that self -imposed hurdle make the initial success 00:19:44.650 --> 00:19:48.559 more difficult It did. The debut album, 30 Seconds 00:19:48.559 --> 00:19:51.039 to Mars from 2002, was a slow -burning success. 00:19:51.400 --> 00:19:53.539 It was well -received critically. I remember 00:19:53.539 --> 00:19:56.839 a reviewer praised them for managing to carve 00:19:56.839 --> 00:19:59.240 out a unique niche for themselves in the rock 00:19:59.240 --> 00:20:01.420 realm. Right. But it wasn't an immediate commercial 00:20:01.420 --> 00:20:04.160 hit. However, over time, it showed staying power, 00:20:04.380 --> 00:20:06.500 eventually selling 2 million copies worldwide. 00:20:07.000 --> 00:20:09.539 But it was the second album, A Beautiful Lie, 00:20:09.799 --> 00:20:12.380 three years later, that truly launched them into 00:20:12.380 --> 00:20:15.079 the mainstream. That album, released in 2005, 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:18.140 was the game changer. It achieved platinum status, 00:20:18.440 --> 00:20:21.779 selling over 4 million copies globally. And here's 00:20:21.779 --> 00:20:23.839 where the complexity of the polymath lifestyle 00:20:23.839 --> 00:20:26.880 really emerges. The recording process for A Beautiful 00:20:26.880 --> 00:20:29.259 Lie perfectly illustrates the tension between 00:20:29.259 --> 00:20:32.579 his two careers. It took a sprawling two years 00:20:32.579 --> 00:20:35.400 to record across four continents. By so long. 00:20:35.640 --> 00:20:38.180 Purely because the band had to accommodate Leto's 00:20:38.180 --> 00:20:40.819 intensive acting schedule, chasing him around 00:20:40.819 --> 00:20:43.400 the globe to lay down tracks. So he was literally 00:20:43.400 --> 00:20:46.759 using production downtime on movie sets. to maintain 00:20:46.759 --> 00:20:49.220 his music career, it shows that neither was a 00:20:49.220 --> 00:20:51.980 hobby. They were simultaneous, relentless commitments, 00:20:52.380 --> 00:20:54.420 and their commercial momentum was sustained through 00:20:54.420 --> 00:20:57.559 subsequent albums like This Is War in 2009 and 00:20:57.559 --> 00:21:00.180 Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams in 2013. Both of 00:21:00.180 --> 00:21:02.799 which reached top 10 status in numerous countries 00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:05.700 and solidified their massive international touring 00:21:05.700 --> 00:21:07.980 base. And they maintained that high commercial 00:21:07.980 --> 00:21:11.359 profile even as their later work sometimes polarized 00:21:11.359 --> 00:21:14.880 critics. Right. America from 2018 and It's the 00:21:14.880 --> 00:21:17.369 End of the World. But it's a beautiful day from 00:21:17.369 --> 00:21:20.470 2023. Critical opinions diverged on those, but 00:21:20.470 --> 00:21:23.569 the commercial metrics remain strong. America 00:21:23.569 --> 00:21:26.450 debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, which 00:21:26.450 --> 00:21:28.609 was the band's highest entry on that chart. And 00:21:28.609 --> 00:21:30.369 when you take it all together. The overall achievement 00:21:30.369 --> 00:21:33.549 stands at over 15 million albums sold worldwide, 00:21:33.849 --> 00:21:36.089 a figure that places them squarely in the realm 00:21:36.089 --> 00:21:40.049 of major, long -lasting rock acts. That is a 00:21:40.049 --> 00:21:43.490 colossal commercial success. But the true defining 00:21:43.490 --> 00:21:46.509 moment, the one that embodies the extremist element 00:21:46.509 --> 00:21:49.869 of Lito's persona in the music industry, has 00:21:49.869 --> 00:21:54.029 to be the colossal $30 million EMI lawsuit. Yes. 00:21:54.289 --> 00:21:57.009 This was his equivalent of the Joker gifts or 00:21:57.009 --> 00:22:00.289 the weight gain, a moment of existential confrontational 00:22:00.289 --> 00:22:02.529 risk. This is a battle royale that pitted the 00:22:02.529 --> 00:22:04.829 artist directly against the corporate music structure 00:22:04.829 --> 00:22:07.690 in 2008. While they were recording their third 00:22:07.690 --> 00:22:10.569 album, 30STM attempted to sign with a new label. 00:22:10.769 --> 00:22:13.640 And EMI didn't like that. EMI, their parent label, 00:22:13.819 --> 00:22:16.759 responded by filing a massive $30 million breach 00:22:16.759 --> 00:22:19.299 of contract lawsuit against the band. $30 million. 00:22:19.539 --> 00:22:21.900 That is an industry -shaking figure. For almost 00:22:21.900 --> 00:22:24.319 any other band, that is a death sentence. For 00:22:24.319 --> 00:22:27.759 sure. So how did Leto and 30STM fight that level 00:22:27.759 --> 00:22:30.799 of corporate power? They fought it using sophisticated 00:22:30.799 --> 00:22:34.500 legal strategy. They based their defense on California's 00:22:34.500 --> 00:22:36.880 de Havilland law. Named after the actress Olivia 00:22:36.880 --> 00:22:39.559 de Havilland. That's right. This law limits the 00:22:39.559 --> 00:22:41.759 length of personal service contracts, essentially 00:22:41.759 --> 00:22:44.279 preventing studios or labels from keeping artists 00:22:44.279 --> 00:22:47.079 under contract indefinitely. It's a foundational 00:22:47.079 --> 00:22:49.980 protection for artists against lifelong corporate 00:22:49.980 --> 00:22:52.900 subjugation. So they didn't just hire a lawyer. 00:22:53.059 --> 00:22:56.019 They used a crucial legal precedent to argue 00:22:56.019 --> 00:22:58.720 that the standard recording contract was inherently 00:22:58.720 --> 00:23:01.319 predatory. Absolutely. This frames the fight 00:23:01.319 --> 00:23:03.720 not as a contract dispute, but as an artist rights 00:23:03.720 --> 00:23:06.500 battle. A much bigger statement. And by challenging 00:23:06.500 --> 00:23:09.599 EMI using this landmark law, they forced a settlement 00:23:09.599 --> 00:23:12.759 in April 2009. They signed a new contract with 00:23:12.759 --> 00:23:15.220 EMI, which allowed them to release the This Is 00:23:15.220 --> 00:23:17.960 War album. This confrontation was more than just 00:23:17.960 --> 00:23:20.980 business. It was Lito using his platform to publicly 00:23:20.980 --> 00:23:23.680 fight for better industry standards for all musicians. 00:23:24.059 --> 00:23:27.119 And in true Lito fashion, he documented the entire 00:23:27.119 --> 00:23:30.119 painful high stakes conflict. He didn't just 00:23:30.119 --> 00:23:32.940 win the legal battle. He turned the conflict 00:23:32.940 --> 00:23:35.859 into a creative asset. The documentary artifact. 00:23:36.180 --> 00:23:38.880 He directed the feature length documentary, which 00:23:38.880 --> 00:23:41.460 chronicled this legal dispute in excruciating 00:23:41.460 --> 00:23:45.160 detail. It focused intensely on the often fraught, 00:23:45.160 --> 00:23:48.259 almost adversarial relationship between artists 00:23:48.259 --> 00:23:50.640 and record companies. And it was well received. 00:23:51.160 --> 00:23:54.180 The film, produced through his own company, Sisyphus 00:23:54.180 --> 00:23:56.519 Corporation, premiered at the Toronto International 00:23:56.519 --> 00:23:59.599 Film Festival and won the People's Choice Award 00:23:59.599 --> 00:24:02.460 for Best Documentary. It positioned Leto not 00:24:02.460 --> 00:24:05.059 just as a rock star, but as a documentarian and 00:24:05.059 --> 00:24:07.880 a champion of artistic independence. And if fighting 00:24:07.880 --> 00:24:10.660 a $30 million lawsuit wasn't enough extreme dedication, 00:24:11.039 --> 00:24:13.259 they set a Guinness World Record for touring. 00:24:13.789 --> 00:24:16.990 The Into the Wild tour is legendary for its relentlessness. 00:24:17.369 --> 00:24:20.470 In December 2011, 30 Seconds to Mars was officially 00:24:20.470 --> 00:24:23.210 recognized by Guinness World Records for performing 00:24:23.210 --> 00:24:25.690 the most live shows during a single album cycle. 00:24:25.930 --> 00:24:28.920 How many shows was it? An astounding 300 shows. 00:24:29.460 --> 00:24:32.660 They were recognized as among the hardest working 00:24:32.660 --> 00:24:35.420 touring artists of that year, illustrating that 00:24:35.420 --> 00:24:38.299 their commitment to the audience was as absolute 00:24:38.299 --> 00:24:41.319 as their commitment to legal self -defense. And 00:24:41.319 --> 00:24:43.220 he produced a documentary series about that too, 00:24:43.319 --> 00:24:45.900 right? Yes, Into the Wild, detailing that massive 00:24:45.900 --> 00:24:48.420 effort. The drive for total creative control 00:24:48.420 --> 00:24:51.059 is the common thread running through his acting 00:24:51.059 --> 00:24:53.299 method and his business battles. It connects 00:24:53.299 --> 00:24:56.079 everything. So now let's turn to his directorial 00:24:56.079 --> 00:24:58.839 identity. which is another area where he imposes 00:24:58.839 --> 00:25:01.839 control, often using pseudonyms to ensure the 00:25:01.839 --> 00:25:06.079 focus remains purely on the art. The use of pseudonyms 00:25:06.079 --> 00:25:08.279 is a calculated move to divorce the work from 00:25:08.279 --> 00:25:10.759 the distraction of his celebrity. If you look 00:25:10.759 --> 00:25:13.140 at his biggest music videos, he directs them 00:25:13.140 --> 00:25:15.839 under one of two aliases. Bartholomew Cubbins 00:25:15.839 --> 00:25:19.380 or Anglicoc Panipac. Exactly. This ensures the 00:25:19.380 --> 00:25:21.680 audience experiences the music video as a self 00:25:21.680 --> 00:25:24.319 -contained piece of art rather than, you know, 00:25:24.319 --> 00:25:26.599 a Jared Leto vanity project. Let's start with 00:25:26.599 --> 00:25:28.819 Bartholomew Cubbins. That's a Dr. Seuss reference, 00:25:28.920 --> 00:25:31.910 right? Yeah. It is. Bartholomew Cubbins is a 00:25:31.910 --> 00:25:33.789 recurring character in the Dr. Seuss universe, 00:25:34.009 --> 00:25:36.670 and Leto noted it was one of his childhood favorites. 00:25:37.029 --> 00:25:39.930 He used this name for the video The Kill back 00:25:39.930 --> 00:25:43.490 in 2006. And that video was very cinematic. Visually 00:25:43.490 --> 00:25:46.690 spectacular and deeply psychological, it drew 00:25:46.690 --> 00:25:49.730 inspiration from the themes of isolation, paranoia, 00:25:49.730 --> 00:25:52.630 and insanity found in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. 00:25:52.789 --> 00:25:55.089 So the visual complexity and ambition are clear. 00:25:55.500 --> 00:25:58.400 He wanted viewers to engage with a thematic homage 00:25:58.400 --> 00:26:01.200 without any preconceived notions attached to 00:26:01.200 --> 00:26:04.039 his face. That's the idea. And the second alias, 00:26:04.119 --> 00:26:07.339 Angakok Panipak, was tied to an ambitious, environmentally 00:26:07.339 --> 00:26:09.839 charged shoot. This was for a beautiful lie. 00:26:10.299 --> 00:26:13.460 Correct. Angakok Panipak directed the 2008 short 00:26:13.460 --> 00:26:16.319 film for that song. This video was filmed 200 00:26:16.319 --> 00:26:18.660 miles north of the Arctic Circle in Greenland, 00:26:18.839 --> 00:26:21.059 specifically focusing on the quickly changing 00:26:21.059 --> 00:26:23.359 Arctic environment. So it wasn't just a scenic 00:26:23.359 --> 00:26:25.339 choice. It was an act of environmental activism 00:26:25.339 --> 00:26:28.490 merged with art. For sure. He worked directly 00:26:28.490 --> 00:26:30.910 with the Natural Resources Defense Council, the 00:26:30.910 --> 00:26:34.470 NRDC, developing strategies to minimize the environmental 00:26:34.470 --> 00:26:37.170 footprint of the chute, including meticulously 00:26:37.170 --> 00:26:39.349 tracking their fuel consumption. And the profit 00:26:39.349 --> 00:26:42.309 model was also tied to his advocacy. Precisely. 00:26:42.670 --> 00:26:45.109 Proceeds generated from the video sales directly 00:26:45.109 --> 00:26:48.049 benefited the NRDC. It shows a clear connection 00:26:48.049 --> 00:26:50.970 between his artistic output and his philanthropic 00:26:50.970 --> 00:26:53.529 goals. It reinforces the idea that for Leto, 00:26:53.710 --> 00:26:56.789 art must serve a larger purpose. Whether that's 00:26:56.789 --> 00:27:00.450 psychological exploration, a legal defense, or 00:27:00.450 --> 00:27:02.809 environmental awareness. And his directing ambition 00:27:02.809 --> 00:27:05.730 is always maximalist. He doesn't do simple, low 00:27:05.730 --> 00:27:08.230 -budget music videos. He consistently pursues 00:27:08.230 --> 00:27:11.309 the largest, most cinematic scale possible. Take 00:27:11.309 --> 00:27:13.369 the video for... from yesterday. Filmed in the 00:27:13.369 --> 00:27:15.309 Forbidden City. It holds the distinction of being 00:27:15.309 --> 00:27:17.950 the first ever American music video shot entirely 00:27:17.950 --> 00:27:20.890 within the Forbidden City in China using hundreds 00:27:20.890 --> 00:27:24.109 of meticulously costumed extras. He drew inspiration 00:27:24.109 --> 00:27:26.769 from Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor and 00:27:26.769 --> 00:27:29.289 the cinematic scale of Akira Kurosawa's work. 00:27:29.450 --> 00:27:31.690 So whether he's acting in a film or directing 00:27:31.690 --> 00:27:34.990 a three minute music video. The demand for world 00:27:34.990 --> 00:27:37.970 building and total control is absolute. That 00:27:37.970 --> 00:27:40.849 need for control and infrastructure leads directly 00:27:40.849 --> 00:27:43.789 into his entrepreneurial spirit. When the existing 00:27:43.789 --> 00:27:46.009 systems don't meet his high -volume demands, 00:27:46.329 --> 00:27:48.730 he simply builds his own solutions. That's the 00:27:48.730 --> 00:27:51.069 core methodology behind his business endeavors. 00:27:51.369 --> 00:27:53.910 He's leveraging the intense fan -to -artist connection 00:27:53.910 --> 00:27:56.490 that 30STM pioneered to build infrastructure. 00:27:57.049 --> 00:27:59.930 First, there's The Hive. A social media management 00:27:59.930 --> 00:28:02.130 and digital marketing company. Right, based in 00:28:02.130 --> 00:28:04.369 LA, it focuses on creative community building 00:28:04.369 --> 00:28:06.710 for artists, expanding to serve clients like 00:28:06.710 --> 00:28:09.670 Jessie J. It's basically a monetization of the 00:28:09.670 --> 00:28:12.529 intensely loyal Echelon fanbase he cultivates. 00:28:12.589 --> 00:28:15.130 That makes perfect sense. Using his own success 00:28:15.130 --> 00:28:17.190 blueprint to help other artists manage their 00:28:17.190 --> 00:28:19.170 digital connection. Then there's Adventures in 00:28:19.170 --> 00:28:21.410 Wonderland, which started as the one and only 00:28:21.410 --> 00:28:25.009 golden tickets in 2010. And this is what? VIP 00:28:25.009 --> 00:28:27.549 experiences. A full service company managing 00:28:27.549 --> 00:28:30.690 exclusive services for concerts, festivals and 00:28:30.690 --> 00:28:33.630 events. Again, this is monetizing the highly 00:28:33.630 --> 00:28:37.829 immersive communal VIP experience that 30STM 00:28:37.829 --> 00:28:40.089 perfected through their relentless touring. But 00:28:40.089 --> 00:28:41.970 the purest expression of his entrepreneurial 00:28:41.970 --> 00:28:46.849 control complex has to be VYRT. VYRT launched 00:28:46.849 --> 00:28:50.369 in 2011. It was an online live video streaming 00:28:50.369 --> 00:28:53.089 service and social network. And why did he build 00:28:53.089 --> 00:28:55.720 it? Because he was having frustrating experiences 00:28:55.720 --> 00:28:59.160 trying to stream 30 STM live events through existing 00:28:59.160 --> 00:29:01.420 platforms that just couldn't meet his quality 00:29:01.420 --> 00:29:03.799 and technical standards. So he looked at a corporate 00:29:03.799 --> 00:29:06.559 flaw poor streaming infrastructure and said, 00:29:06.640 --> 00:29:09.559 I will build my own solution. That is the ultimate 00:29:09.559 --> 00:29:12.099 demonstration of control. When the existing system 00:29:12.099 --> 00:29:15.059 fails the artist, the artist becomes the platform 00:29:15.059 --> 00:29:17.500 owner. And it worked. It was a successful enterprise. 00:29:18.170 --> 00:29:20.809 VYT won Best Online Concert Experience at the 00:29:20.809 --> 00:29:23.529 O Music Awards in 2012, confirming the viability 00:29:23.529 --> 00:29:26.049 of his vision. He applied the same analytical 00:29:26.049 --> 00:29:28.369 eye he uses to break down a character to technological 00:29:28.369 --> 00:29:30.950 market gaps. And finally, he's leveraging his 00:29:30.950 --> 00:29:33.670 capital and profile as a serious, forward -thinking 00:29:33.670 --> 00:29:36.569 investor in the tech space. Specifically in areas 00:29:36.569 --> 00:29:39.349 that foster digital community. Right. He's a 00:29:39.349 --> 00:29:42.710 funder for major platforms that define modern 00:29:42.710 --> 00:29:45.250 digital communities, specifically Reddit and 00:29:45.250 --> 00:29:47.670 Robinhood markets. Investing in Reddit. shows 00:29:47.670 --> 00:29:50.470 a keen understanding of the power of decentralized, 00:29:50.750 --> 00:29:54.609 engaged communities. The very thing 30STM built 00:29:54.609 --> 00:29:56.930 with its fan base. And investing in Robinhood 00:29:56.930 --> 00:29:59.549 shows an interest in democratizing financial 00:29:59.549 --> 00:30:03.269 access and embracing digital innovation. He also 00:30:03.269 --> 00:30:06.089 invested in Surf Air, a California -based air 00:30:06.089 --> 00:30:08.150 service. So he doesn't just participate in creative 00:30:08.150 --> 00:30:10.589 culture. He invests in the entire infrastructure 00:30:10.589 --> 00:30:12.769 that supports digital community building and 00:30:12.769 --> 00:30:15.029 disruptive technology. We've now mapped the artistic 00:30:15.029 --> 00:30:17.460 extremes and the business control. Let's delve 00:30:17.460 --> 00:30:19.619 into the public and private life. This covers 00:30:19.619 --> 00:30:22.660 his extensive activism and the increasingly polarizing 00:30:22.660 --> 00:30:24.460 controversies that have followed him in recent 00:30:24.460 --> 00:30:26.700 years. This is where the persona meets the real 00:30:26.700 --> 00:30:28.980 world. Right. And his public advocacy reflects 00:30:28.980 --> 00:30:31.839 that socially conscious, hippie, communal upbringing 00:30:31.839 --> 00:30:34.460 he described. He has a consistent track record 00:30:34.460 --> 00:30:37.140 of political and philanthropic engagement. Starting 00:30:37.140 --> 00:30:39.420 with animal welfare, which is a consistent theme. 00:30:39.690 --> 00:30:42.430 In 2008, he supported California Proposition 00:30:42.430 --> 00:30:45.109 2, which focused on improving the treatment and 00:30:45.109 --> 00:30:47.990 housing standards for farm animals. He consistently 00:30:47.990 --> 00:30:50.829 used his voice for animal rights. He also entered 00:30:50.829 --> 00:30:53.109 the political arena, throwing his weight behind 00:30:53.109 --> 00:30:55.349 Barack Obama. He was a vocal supporter in the 00:30:55.349 --> 00:30:58.890 2008 election. By 2012, he was so involved that 00:30:58.890 --> 00:31:02.130 he chaired a Gen 44 event, a targeted campaign 00:31:02.130 --> 00:31:04.910 set up by the Obama Organization to energize 00:31:04.910 --> 00:31:08.049 young voters under 40. So he was a cultural mobilizer 00:31:08.049 --> 00:31:10.630 for that demographic. Effectively, yes. And his 00:31:10.630 --> 00:31:14.190 commitment to LGBTQ plus rights has been longstanding 00:31:14.190 --> 00:31:17.089 and active. Extremely active. He's a prominent 00:31:17.089 --> 00:31:19.609 gay rights activist. After California passed 00:31:19.609 --> 00:31:21.849 Proposition 8, which prohibited same -sex marriage, 00:31:22.089 --> 00:31:24.730 he actively raised money for the campaign against 00:31:24.730 --> 00:31:26.710 it. And supported groups like FAIR. Freedom, 00:31:26.730 --> 00:31:29.470 action, inclusion, rights, yes. And in 2012, 00:31:29.609 --> 00:31:31.950 he made a public statement of support when President 00:31:31.950 --> 00:31:34.910 Obama endorsed same -sex marriage. His charitable 00:31:34.910 --> 00:31:37.670 works also show a consistent global perspective. 00:31:38.190 --> 00:31:40.609 which connects back to that early life of constant 00:31:40.609 --> 00:31:43.019 movement. He's volunteered extensively for the 00:31:43.019 --> 00:31:45.039 charity Art of Elysium, which helps children 00:31:45.039 --> 00:31:47.720 with serious medical conditions. He supported 00:31:47.720 --> 00:31:49.900 the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes. 00:31:50.059 --> 00:31:51.859 And in terms of community building. He worked 00:31:51.859 --> 00:31:54.119 with Habitat for Humanity in both Los Angeles 00:31:54.119 --> 00:31:57.180 and Malaysia. And his environmental activism 00:31:57.180 --> 00:32:00.380 continued beyond the Arctic video. Cover art 00:32:00.380 --> 00:32:03.940 proceeds for 97X Green Room. Volume 2 benefited 00:32:03.940 --> 00:32:06.359 the Nature Conservancy. And that environmental 00:32:06.359 --> 00:32:09.619 commitment culminated in 2015. That year, he 00:32:09.619 --> 00:32:12.039 was named a global ambassador for the Worldwide 00:32:12.039 --> 00:32:15.700 Fund for Nature, the WWF. He also has deep ties 00:32:15.700 --> 00:32:18.019 to Haiti. Yes. Having spent a year there during 00:32:18.019 --> 00:32:20.319 his own childhood, he returned after the devastating 00:32:20.319 --> 00:32:23.779 2010 earthquake. He released a photo book and 00:32:23.779 --> 00:32:26.940 hosted an event in 2014 Haiti. The journey is 00:32:26.940 --> 00:32:29.460 the destination to raise funds for relief efforts. 00:32:29.680 --> 00:32:31.819 Now, briefly grounding him with a few personal 00:32:31.819 --> 00:32:34.180 notes before we dive into the recent controversies. 00:32:34.200 --> 00:32:36.970 OK. His relationship history includes being partnered 00:32:36.970 --> 00:32:40.990 with actress Cameron Diaz from 1999 to 2003 with 00:32:40.990 --> 00:32:43.930 an engagement in 2000. And importantly, he became 00:32:43.930 --> 00:32:46.970 a teetotaler in 2007. An interesting choice given 00:32:46.970 --> 00:32:49.809 the rock star image he cultivated. Right. But 00:32:49.809 --> 00:32:52.269 this section of the file is increasingly dominated 00:32:52.269 --> 00:32:55.670 by two highly sensitive and recent controversies 00:32:55.670 --> 00:32:58.349 that illustrate the intense friction created 00:32:58.349 --> 00:33:01.190 by his provocative public persona. OK, let's 00:33:01.190 --> 00:33:04.150 address the first. The serious 2025 allegation. 00:33:04.140 --> 00:33:07.650 What happened here? In June 2025, a report was 00:33:07.650 --> 00:33:09.890 published by the investigative news outlet Air 00:33:09.890 --> 00:33:13.029 Mail. This report contained accusations of sexual 00:33:13.029 --> 00:33:15.829 misconduct made by nine women, with one of the 00:33:15.829 --> 00:33:18.329 allegations dating back nearly two decades to 00:33:18.329 --> 00:33:21.210 2006. And we should be very clear here. It is 00:33:21.210 --> 00:33:23.670 crucial to state clearly and impartially that 00:33:23.670 --> 00:33:25.990 Leto publicly and officially denied these allegations. 00:33:26.329 --> 00:33:28.670 OK. The second controversy is arguably one of 00:33:28.670 --> 00:33:31.569 the most bizarre legal battles in celebrity history. 00:33:31.710 --> 00:33:35.200 The 2023 Antichrist lawsuit. This seems to be 00:33:35.200 --> 00:33:37.359 the ultimate collision between his cultivated 00:33:37.359 --> 00:33:40.720 cult -like fan base and absolute public misinterpretation. 00:33:40.859 --> 00:33:42.940 I mean, this lawsuit is truly unique. It is. 00:33:42.940 --> 00:33:45.539 Leto filed it against the owner of MichaelCastingPearls 00:33:45.539 --> 00:33:48.400 .com over a documentary posted on the website 00:33:48.400 --> 00:33:51.200 that made extremely serious theological and cult 00:33:51.200 --> 00:33:53.440 claims. What were the claims? The documentary 00:33:53.440 --> 00:33:56.660 claimed that Leto is the Antichrist, the false 00:33:56.660 --> 00:33:59.380 prophet foretold in the Book of Revelation, and 00:33:59.380 --> 00:34:03.230 the actual leader of a global cult. What specifically 00:34:03.230 --> 00:34:05.710 was in this documentary that prompted a lawsuit? 00:34:05.950 --> 00:34:08.530 This wasn't just someone posting a negative review. 00:34:08.730 --> 00:34:11.289 Far from it. The content was highly specific 00:34:11.289 --> 00:34:14.670 and religiously charged. It included video testimonies 00:34:14.670 --> 00:34:17.170 from individuals who claimed that God had personally 00:34:17.170 --> 00:34:20.449 identified Jared Leto to them as the false prophet. 00:34:20.610 --> 00:34:23.409 Wow. One interviewee claimed they had experienced 00:34:23.409 --> 00:34:26.530 a full demonic attack and were supernaturally 00:34:26.530 --> 00:34:29.179 forced into worshiping him. And the documentary 00:34:29.179 --> 00:34:32.219 alleged he had a secret web page. It did. It 00:34:32.219 --> 00:34:34.860 alleged that Leto had created a specific secret 00:34:34.860 --> 00:34:37.800 web page in 2011 for his most devoted followers, 00:34:38.039 --> 00:34:40.400 where he allegedly explained and admitted that 00:34:40.400 --> 00:34:42.659 he is indeed the Antichrist prophesied to fight 00:34:42.659 --> 00:34:44.980 during the apocalypse. And the claims extended 00:34:44.980 --> 00:34:47.139 to his work with 30 Seconds to Mars, blending 00:34:47.139 --> 00:34:49.969 the spiritual and the aesthetic. Exactly. The 00:34:49.969 --> 00:34:52.050 documentary alleged that the supposed occult 00:34:52.050 --> 00:34:54.250 tattoos Leto placed on his followers' bodies 00:34:54.250 --> 00:34:57.030 were in fact the mark of the beast foretold in 00:34:57.030 --> 00:34:59.590 the Bible. This just shows the profound intensity 00:34:59.590 --> 00:35:02.329 with which his image and his artistic commitment 00:35:02.329 --> 00:35:05.010 to world building is interpreted by some people. 00:35:05.110 --> 00:35:07.329 It really does. So Leto attempted to use the 00:35:07.329 --> 00:35:09.969 legal system to censor this content. What was 00:35:09.969 --> 00:35:12.929 the outcome? He attempted to censor it by filing 00:35:12.929 --> 00:35:15.409 the lawsuit, but he ultimately lost the legal 00:35:15.409 --> 00:35:18.349 battle. The content and the associated claims 00:35:18.349 --> 00:35:20.929 remain available on the website. And this episode 00:35:20.929 --> 00:35:23.750 is critical for our analysis. Because it shows 00:35:23.750 --> 00:35:26.929 the absolute limit of creative control. When 00:35:26.929 --> 00:35:29.429 you cultivate a persona of such high intensity, 00:35:29.590 --> 00:35:32.730 a rock band that calls its fans an echelon, a 00:35:32.730 --> 00:35:35.869 method actor who sends dead pigs, you invite 00:35:35.869 --> 00:35:39.690 extreme interpretation. And in this case, the 00:35:39.690 --> 00:35:42.750 law protected the right of that extreme misinterpretation 00:35:42.750 --> 00:35:45.530 to exist. So we circle back to the central thesis. 00:35:45.980 --> 00:35:48.820 Jared Leto operates at the extreme edge of every 00:35:48.820 --> 00:35:51.320 single endeavor he touches. The reward is always 00:35:51.320 --> 00:35:53.539 found at the far boundary. Whether that's achieving 00:35:53.539 --> 00:35:55.960 the near -unrecognizable transformation for his 00:35:55.960 --> 00:35:58.760 Oscar -winning role in Dallas Spires Club, or 00:35:58.760 --> 00:36:00.780 the professional recklessness of nearly giving 00:36:00.780 --> 00:36:03.880 himself gout for Chapter 27. or on the business 00:36:03.880 --> 00:36:06.679 and music side risking an existential 30 million 00:36:06.679 --> 00:36:10.039 dollar lawsuit against emi knowing that settling 00:36:10.039 --> 00:36:12.300 that legal precedent was necessary not just to 00:36:12.300 --> 00:36:15.239 save his band but to redefine his relationship 00:36:15.239 --> 00:36:17.940 with the music industry as a champion of artists 00:36:17.940 --> 00:36:21.900 rights he views conflict whether physical legal 00:36:21.900 --> 00:36:25.480 or professional not as a hurdle but as necessary 00:36:25.480 --> 00:36:28.199 content. As demonstrated by the Artifact documentary. 00:36:28.679 --> 00:36:31.900 His entire methodology, from the immersive acting 00:36:31.900 --> 00:36:35.139 to creating proprietary tech platforms like VRT 00:36:35.139 --> 00:36:37.940 to the polarizing stunts like scaling the Empire 00:36:37.940 --> 00:36:40.800 State Building, it all stems from this core identity. 00:36:41.099 --> 00:36:43.300 An identity defined by pushing boundaries and 00:36:43.300 --> 00:36:45.599 demanding an intense, critical, and often aggressive 00:36:45.599 --> 00:36:48.360 engagement from the public. Polarization isn't 00:36:48.360 --> 00:36:50.380 a tolerated byproduct. It seems to be utilized 00:36:50.380 --> 00:36:52.880 for creative fuel. And the pseudonyms are the 00:36:52.880 --> 00:36:54.880 giveaway that this is all a deliberate, high 00:36:54.880 --> 00:36:57.960 -concept performance. Bartholomew Cubbins, Angakak 00:36:57.960 --> 00:37:00.619 Panipak. He doesn't want the art to be confused 00:37:00.619 --> 00:37:02.800 with the commodity, but he also ensures the commodity 00:37:02.800 --> 00:37:06.019 Jared Leto, the brand benefits from the mythos 00:37:06.019 --> 00:37:08.780 of the uncompromising artist. So when you trace 00:37:08.780 --> 00:37:12.099 his entire arc back to that childhood, that art 00:37:12.099 --> 00:37:14.780 communal hippie experience. Which explicitly 00:37:14.780 --> 00:37:16.820 blurred the lines between life and performance. 00:37:17.550 --> 00:37:20.369 And forward to his commitment to remaining in 00:37:20.369 --> 00:37:23.769 character as the Joker for six months, the question 00:37:23.769 --> 00:37:26.010 becomes inescapable. The question of authenticity. 00:37:26.389 --> 00:37:28.969 Exactly. Yes. Where does Jared Leto, the individual 00:37:28.969 --> 00:37:32.630 end and the high stakes transformative persona 00:37:32.630 --> 00:37:35.230 begin? It's a great question. For someone who 00:37:35.230 --> 00:37:37.309 spent his formative years in constant motion, 00:37:37.469 --> 00:37:40.230 learning to adapt and assume new identities and 00:37:40.230 --> 00:37:43.150 whose artistic mentors explicitly rejected boundaries, 00:37:43.469 --> 00:37:46.170 perhaps the most authentic thing he can do is 00:37:46.170 --> 00:37:49.340 never. stop transforming. It seems like for him, 00:37:49.340 --> 00:37:51.739 the individual existence is defined by the process 00:37:51.739 --> 00:37:54.500 of becoming something else. Exactly. And given 00:37:54.500 --> 00:37:56.739 his commitment to this intense immersion and 00:37:56.739 --> 00:37:59.000 his willingness to step fully into the bizarre, 00:37:59.219 --> 00:38:01.500 from the physical suffering of weight gain to 00:38:01.500 --> 00:38:04.199 the sheer oddity of fighting a lawsuit over being 00:38:04.199 --> 00:38:07.119 the Antichrist, you have to ask yourself, what's 00:38:07.119 --> 00:38:09.639 next? As he prepares for his next high -stakes 00:38:09.639 --> 00:38:12.340 persona, Skeletor in the Masters of the Universe 00:38:12.340 --> 00:38:15.880 reboot, a character defined by megalomania, theatrical 00:38:15.880 --> 00:38:19.460 evil, and total command. How deep will that immersion 00:38:19.460 --> 00:38:22.619 go? And what new controversies will this relentless 00:38:22.619 --> 00:38:25.579 need for transformation provoke next? The entire 00:38:25.579 --> 00:38:28.159 career, in a way, is simply a series of method 00:38:28.159 --> 00:38:30.900 performances. It might be. A perfect and slightly 00:38:30.900 --> 00:38:33.300 unnerving thought to end this deep dive on. Thank 00:38:33.300 --> 00:38:34.980 you for guiding us through the layers of the 00:38:34.980 --> 00:38:36.920 extreme polymath that is Jared Leto.