Jared Leto American actor and musician

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Academy Awards

2013: Best Supporting Actor

Jared Leto as Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club

Other Nominees

• Barkhad Abdi as Muse in Captain Phillips
• Bradley Cooper as Richie DiMaso in American Hustle
• Michael Fassbender as Edwin Epps in 12 Years a Slave
• Jonah Hill as Donnie Azoff in The Wolf of Wall Street

Jared Leto was awarded the Oscar for best supporting actor in recognition of his chameleonic turn as Rayon, a transgender AIDS patient struggling to obtain effective medication for her illness, in the film Dallas Buyers Club (AAN). Though some transgender advocates characterized his performance as mannered and stereotypical, many were deeply affected by Leto’s immersive, humanistic portrayal. In the film, Rayon assists Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey [AA]) in illegally distributing essential HIV/AIDS medications in the U.S. during the 1980s. Leto dropped about 40 pounds (18 kg) for the film and donned dramatically transformative costumes and cosmetics in order to realistically evoke the presence of the terminally ill drug-addicted woman.
Leto’s first major acting role was as handsome slacker Jordan Catalano in the teen television drama My So-Called Life (1994–95). Though he continued to work in film, his focus shifted in 1998 when he formed the rock band 30 Seconds to Mars. While the group gained momentum, Leto continued to appear in supporting roles in films such as The Thin Red Line (1998), Fight Club (1999), and American Psycho (2000). His graphic performance as a heroin addict in Requiem for a Dream (2000) earned rave reviews. He appeared as the lover of Alexander the Great in Alexander (2004) and as John Lennon’s assassin Mark David Chapman in Chapter 27 (2007). After wrapping the 2009 film Mr. Nobody in 2007, Leto became increasingly focused on his musical career; his band’s 2005 album went platinum in late 2006. He declared that the challenge presented by the role of Rayon had brought him back to acting.