Jared Leto's acting and music career goes back to the early-1990s and includes hits like Fight Club, American Psycho, Lord of War, and The Thin Red Line. But he's also got some flops under his belt, like his turn as the Joker in Suicide Squad and the entirety of the 30 Seconds to Mars discography.
In daily life, Leto seems to be convinced that he's a form of bodhisattva, a guru or messiah here to lead humanity into a world of post-ironic, self-referential hipsterism. But his concept of high-concept mostly comes off as lazy with a touch of egotism. From his outfits to his hair, to his career choices and music retreats, it's clear that Jared Leto has given up on himself and set about trying to prove to everyone just how artistic he really is.
Keep scrolling for 20 pics that reveal the extent of Jared Leto's mid-life creative malaise.
20 Canadian Tuxedo
Jared Leto was born in Bossier City, Louisiana, and moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career in 1992 The man is now 47 years old! And yet, he still dresses like a misguided teenager, including this ensemble of jeans with a jean jacket, which is just about the weakest possible getup to wear on the red carpet.
19 Kneel
One of Leto's ongoing projects in life is his band, 30 Seconds to Mars. But as much as nobody in their right minds would ever listen to his music, plenty of people still do. Leto has transformed fans of 30 Seconds to Mars into a veritable cult and seems to think that he looks whimsical if he dresses in garb befitting an enlightened messiah.
18 We Got Beards Like The Lord
Some actors grow out their hair and beards between gigs because there's a chance their next movie might require long hair or a beard. Jared Leto, on the other hand, seems to grow out his beard because he's totally given up on appearing respectable, or at least anything other than a cult messiah who believes himself to be God's gift to humanity.
17 Friends in Low Places
One of the strangest facts about Jared Leto that becomes very obvious while searching around the internet for pics of him is how frequently he's caught with people he looks down on, be they photographers, roadies, or members of "The Echelon" (which is how he refers to his fans). But he doesn't seem to have many people around who are just his friends. Maybe there's a reason.
16 Because He Cares
No one is about to argue that Jared Leto doesn't look surprisingly young and fit for his age. He blamed his toned looks on being a vegetarian for many years during a Rolling Stone interview. But here he can be seen wearing animals on top of his jean jacket, which clearly raises the point of whether Leto is a vegetarian for humane reasons, like caring about critters, or whether it's all part of his self-absorbed superficiality.
15 Bright Colors
One of the major style themes that Jared Leto has developed—and that tabloids manage to follow incessantly—appears to be putting together a random assortment of psychedelics colors to match his long hair and beard. But has this been done before by the likes of the Beatles about 50 years ago? Or is Jared Leto a truly revolutionary visionary?
14 Rob Lowe's Mullet
While it's probably not fair to judge a person by their haircut, Jared Leto's frequent haircuts point to the fact that he seems to think, as expressed so well in the TV show Fleabag, that "Hair is everything!" But then he goes out in public with a vintage mullet complete with a spiky combover. But hey, he's being "bold."
13 Don't Care, Really
Jared Leto won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in the 2013 film Dallas Buyers Club. But as usual, where many actors have made their acceptance speeches about supporting disenfranchised communities, Jared Leto made the speech all about himself and neglected to even mention the trans community after playing a trans character in the film.
12 Lookin' Good
Jared Leto is well-known for his looks and physique, neither of which are on display in this picture of the actor. For the movie Chapter 27, Leto packed on weight to portray John Lennon's murderer, Mark David Chapman. But don't make the mistake of thinking that commitment to eating ice cream is the same as a commitment to being a good person.
11 In On The Joke
Much of Jared Leto's public life seems to border on performance art. But not all art is good art, even if Leto seems to be promoting the idea that he's in on some amazingly wonderful inside joke. Just because an inside joke has an inner circle, though, doesn't mean that it's a good joke—no matter how much the sycophants around Leto might support his behavior.
10 Looking Smart
Everyone knows that wearing prescription glasses makes anyone look smarter. In this clean-cut picture of Jared Leto, he's wearing glasses—and they're not even his normal oversized sunglasses. But a quick glance will reveal that these aren't prescription sunglasses, Leto has just decided to take the easiest route to seem intelligent.
9 Make Them Match
Getting into the mind of Jared Leto is surprisingly easy—surprising because of how insanely smart he seems to think he is. But this look is another instance where he seemed to think that one thing bright and trippy would go well with another thing that's bright and trippy, and it'll all serve to draw attention to his pink hair hiding his brilliant brain.
8 It Could Be Worse
The current political environment in the United States has most people disappointed in the political process. But things could be worse, it turns out. Just imagine if a self-obsessed, overconfident, and doubt-free celebrity managed to become President. How awful would that be? Pretty awful, probably.
7 Chicks Dig Me
There's an unfortunate syndrome that's commonplace in the world that can be thought of as "Beautiful People's Syndrome." Basically, people who are good looking tend to think that because they are surrounded by adoration, they must be spectacularly unique, insightful, funny, wise, and special. But people like Jared Leto seem not to notice that maybe this all happened because they looked good.
6 Here For Your Enlightenment
In many ways, Leto seems like the quintessential cult leader. He's got the hair, the beard, the devotees—and the complete lack of any sort of self-reflection or doubt. But without a sense of self-criticism, every decision he makes becomes a statement of laziness, including when he decides that serious public appearances are the perfect stage for proving how enlightened he is.
5 Delusions of Grandeur
Here, Leto can be seen at one of his island retreat getaways, which fans of 30 Seconds to Mars will apparently pay up to $6,499 for the chance to be one of the VIPs on the weekend getaway, as reported by KQED. And the best part? The band has publicly stated alongside pics like this, "Yes, this is a cult."
4 Crown of Thorns
Leto has given up any sort of retrospective thought, as evidenced by another of his ridiculous red carpet outfits. Whether he thinks this gold crown is more reminiscent of a conquering Caesar returning to Rome or (more likely) akin to the crown of thorns famously made stylish by Jesus, his inability to see his own disgusting egotism remains shocking.
3 Not Joking, You Guys
Does Jared Leto realize how awful he seems? Or does he think that everything he does is the most genius, creative act the world has ever seen? The fine line between genius and idiot has been tread by many a Hollywood superstar, but Leto seems to have gone off the deep end, like strutting about in Joker hair so that everyone would know he is, in fact, the most legit Joker ever, ever.
2 Rash Decisions
Here, Jared Leto can be seen strolling on the beach, followed by friends, wearing a rash guard over psychedelic board shorts. The man has clearly given up on life if he's decided that a rash guard is the best way to hit the beach. Nothing in the world says middle-aged crisis like a Porsche, but a rash guard might be close.
1 What A Look
For the 2019 Met Gala, which drew all sorts of celebs in their finest attire, Jared Leto definitely managed to turn heads. He showed up in an outfit that can only be thought of as excruciatingly artistic in the worst way possible. Dressed in a kingly, diamond-studded gown, he carried a replica of his own bearded, long-haired head—as if to prove that he's really an artist, guys.
Sources: Wikipedia, KQED, and IMDb.
