December 12, 2024

Published from Mumbai, Delhi & Bhopal

Attracted to roles where there’s an opportunity to transform

Oscar-winner Jared Leto transforms into the enigmatic anti-hero Michael Morbius in the film ‘Morbius’. He says he is attracted to roles where there’s an opportunity to transform – physically but also mentally, emotionally.

“I’m attracted to roles where there’s an opportunity to transform – physical transformation, but also mental, emotional, any and all,” says Leto, who is indeed renowned for his transformations.

From his Academy Award-winning performance as Rayon in ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ to his portrayal of Paolo Gucci in ‘House of Gucci’, Leto disappears into his roles, bringing characters to life in ways that can be moving, or terrifying, or enigmatic, but always unforgettable.

“There’s a lot of range in there, so that was really fun to tackle. Not only does the movie have action, stunts, and fighting, but the role itself was taxing. Whenever he is fighting the affliction, he is caught in a crossroads between different parts of the character.

“It’s like a withdrawal process, a full body experience. I was excited about taking on the challenge of putting a character on screen that had never been on screen before. It gets harder and harder to find, and that was unique about this – a Marvel character that had never been portrayed outside of a couple of episodes of a Spider-Man cartoon.”

Leto was drawn to the character by the idea that the audience would discover the character as he transforms, and by the challenge of portraying those unusual transformations.

“I liked that he had this lofty goal while being frail. But then, he finds the cure and becomes incredibly powerful and strong – he succeeds in that mission only to have everything go wrong,” he says.

“There’s a lot to discover about this character. It was fun to explore his increased strength and speed. And he can use echolocation – how do you translate that into a performance, the ability to see using your sense of hearing?”

Sony Pictures Entertainment India exclusively brings Morbius to theatres on April 1. Releasing in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

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