Top 10 Creepiest Jared Leto Moments

When Jared Leto took on the role of Marvel Comics’ “living vampire” in Sony’s Spider-Man-adjacent superhero flop “Morbius,” his strange behind-the-scenes behavior left everyone on set scratching their heads. Mimicking the character’s physical degeneration, Leto insisted on using crutches and moving painfully slow during filming - even between takes. According to outlets like Variety, the actor’s reported 45-minute bathroom breaks became so time-consuming that a compromise had to be reached: crew members began wheeling him to the toilet in a wheelchair. While method acting is nothing new for Leto (more examples of this later), his actions filming “Morbius” bordered on disruptive obsession.

In 2015, the Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman acquired a former military compound in Los Angeles, previously known as the Lookout Mountain Air Force Station. Originally used during the Cold War for secret film development, the property is shrouded in eerie historical context – and is said by some to be haunted. The complex contains a swimming pool, gym, control tower, and screening rooms. However, what really raised eyebrows was Leto's admission that there is a real working guillotine on the property – which he says is for “people who misbehave.” While most hang art on their walls, Jared Leto decorates with instruments of execution.

In the 2021 John Lee Hancock thriller “The Little Things,” Jared Leto plays Albert Sparma, a deranged suspect in a series of brutal murders. However, during promotional interviews for the film, Leto unsettlingly described Sparma as “a bit of a charmer,” this despite the terrifying nature of the loner character obsessed with death. By further proclaiming that Sparma possessed “a great sense of humor” and was endearing, the actor rubbed many the wrong way. How could he be so comfortable praising a potentially twisted killer? Regardless, the unnerving performance nabbed Leto Best Supporting Actor nominations at the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards.

In preparation for his role as the blind antagonist Niander Wallace in the Sci-Fi epic “Blade Runner 2049” opposite Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford, Jared Leto took things to the extreme in order to experience the world as a blind person would. Wearing custom-made opaque contact lenses, Leto effectively blinded himself – wearing the sight removing aids on set full-time. Director Denis Villeneuve stated that the actor would walk around like a real blind man, even requiring a guide to move about the studio. By once again engaging in an intense level of character preparation, Leto reportedly left many around him confused - and more than a little annoyed.

One of Jared Leto’s more unsettling moments involves “The Lord of the Rings” actor Elijah Wood. The surreal encounter went down at the 2007 MTVU Woodie Awards where Leto, apparently enraged over what he construed as Wood laughing at his band Thirty Seconds to Mars, confronted and physically grabbed the actor by the neck. Wood, who describes himself as non-confrontational, told Jane Magazine that the incident left him “shell-shocked,” noting that Leto acted as if he’d been personally attacked and deeply disrespected. The whole aggressive outburst struck Wood as both ridiculous and disturbingly intense. It also surprised many just how quickly Leto was able to turn hostile.

In yet another example of Jared Leto taking method acting to the extreme, he dangerously immersed himself in the role of heroin addict Harry Goldfarb for Darren Aronofsky’s “Requiem for a Dream.” You see, in order to understand the desperation of addiction, Leto lost over 25 pounds and lived on the streets of New York. According to Aronofsky and Leto himself, he even refused to make love or do anything pleasurable during filming – this so he could stay hungry for everything while in character. And while this dedication led to one of his most acclaimed performances, it also revealed Leto’s risky tendency to prioritize method over mental health.

Jared Leto’s fashion has always (ahem) turned heads, but this took things to a whole new level. At the 2019 Met Gala, themed “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” Leto made one of the most memorable - and unsettling - entrances at the haute couture fundraising event. Wearing a red Gucci gown, the actor/musician casually cradled a hyper-detailed replica of his own decapitated head. While the outfit itself fit the theme, many naturally found the lifelike head creepy, especially given how lovingly he seemed to carry it. In fact, the jaw-dropping fashion statement felt like something straight out of a horror movie like “Hereditary” or “Seven.”

Jared Leto’s band Thirty Seconds to Mars has always had a devoted fan base, but things got eerily cult-like when Leto began holding what he labelled “Mars Island retreats” in Croatia. Wearing white robes, preaching about peace, and surrounded by adoring fans who allegedly called him “Prophet,” Leto clearly leaned hard into the messiah imagery. Critics were quick to note that photos from the events looked straight out of a religious commune. Heck, the official band Twitter even joked: “Yes, this is a cult.” While it clearly started as satire, the images of fervent followers quickly blurred the line between joke and genuine worship.

Chances are you’ve already heard about this one. That’s because the behind-the-scenes stories surrounding 2016’s “Suicide Squad” are as unsettling as they are obnoxious. For one, Jared Leto reportedly didn’t say a word to Will Smith outside of the script for the entirety of filming, this to maintain his character’s thought process as the Joker. Then, there’s the infamous “gifts.” It’s been reported that Leto sent a live rat to Margot Robbie, a disturbing assortment of adult toys – not to mention used condoms, and a dead pig to the entire cast. Leto has since downplayed how genuine these gifts were, but other cast members have backed up their existence. Method acting or not, that’s definitely no laughing matter.

In 2005, an anonymous source told the New York Post that Jared Leto frequently texted much younger girls, calling his behavior “really kind of creepy.” Over the years, public figures have also raised concerns. Dylan Sprouse criticized Leto in a 2018 Tweet asking, “Now that you’ve slid into the dm’s of every female model aged 18-25, what would you say your success rate is?” Meanwhile, director James Gunn responded in a since deleted post, “He starts at 18 on the Internet?” A moment around the 64th Grammys also drew backlash when Leto was photographed speaking to then-18-year-old pop star Olivia Rodrigo, prompting fans to post such things as “OLIVIA RUN!”

What’s your take on Jared Leto? Do any of his off-screen antics leave you feeling unsettled? Let’s chat in the comments below.