
Warner Bros
Anyone who follows my writing or podcasting here at BroBible knows that I have such a disdain for Jared Leto that it’s become a bit. Part of it is because I think he’s wildly overrated as an actor — Leto tricks people into thinking that outlandish eccentricity is complex acting, which it’s not — and part of it is because, even five-plus years later, I’m still not over his truly and deeply horrible turn as Joker in Suicide Squad.
Not only was Leto’s performance awful, and not only was the movie itself an absolute dumpster fire, but reports of his on-set behavior — such as mailing co-stars dead rats and used condoms — made the Oscar winner seem like the absolute biggest overacting try-hard.
In the years since, the stories of those infamous gifts haven’t exactly aged all that well, and now Leto is attempting to set the record straight.
“99.9 percent of what people read is bullshit,” he says, adding that “there were no used condoms” or other salacious presents given to cast members like Margot Robbie and Will Smith, though Leto himself previously told a reporter that he presented “anal beads” and “used condoms” to “everybody” on the set of the film to “create a dynamic” and “an element of surprise” that would break down walls between new colleagues.
“Any of the very few gifts that were ever given were given with a spirit of fun and adventure and received with laughter, fun, and adventure. It’s all filmed! They filmed it all! People were dying. We were just having a goof… The only gifts I ever gave Margot were cupcakes. I think I gave her a mouse, and some of the other guys got gifts that you’d get as a joke at a party.” [via Entertainment Weekly]
Luckily for me, it appears that Leto’s given audiences another reason to dunk on him, as the first reviews of House of Gucci seem to be specifically dragging his performance through the coals.
Hearing that Jared Leto’s ‘House of Gucci’ character has no clue what movie he’s actually in.
Jared Leto? Overzealous performance? Tricking people into thinking outlandish eccentricity is complex acting? Noooooo.
Shocked I tell you, SHOCKED.
— Eric Italiano (@eric_ital) November 10, 2021
Al Pacino gives the best performance, Gaga overdoes it (somewhat by necessity of the role), Jared Leto is acting in an entirely different movie, and Adam Driver seems to understand what movie he's actually in. #HouseofGucci
— Brandon Katz (@Great_Katzby) November 9, 2021
As for Jared Leto, his performance is larger than life and comes across as a live action cartoon character. I can’t say that I wasn’t amused by the performance but my god, it was so over the top that I honestly couldn’t help but roll my eyes at him whenever he came on-screen.
— Scott Menzel (@ScottDMenzel) November 9, 2021
Also Jared Leto should stop, but also I could not stop guffawing at his performance.
— Esther Zuckerman (@ezwrites) November 9, 2021
Lacking in energy, style & camp, HOUSE OF GUCCI plods through deadly serious drama for 2.5 hours with an uneven tone. Lady Gaga, Adam Driver & Al Pacino deliver but a cartoonish Jared Leto feels like he’s in a different film. A disappointingly mediocre effort from Ridley Scott. pic.twitter.com/UIQod5wbYm
— Matt Neglia (@NextBestPicture) November 9, 2021
I have been waiting a week to say this but I truly believe that Lady Gaga believes that she is giving the best performance ever captured on film throughout House of Gucci and that Jared Leto will be hearing from the Italian anti-defamation league sooner than you can say mamma mia
— Chris Murphy (@christress) November 9, 2021
HOUSE OF GUCCI is a wildly campy fever dream. But as a true crime fan, it feels like so much missed potential. Lady Gaga is masterful in her transformation as Patrizia, plus her chemistry with Adam Driver is off the charts. Can't say anything positive about Jared Leto tho 🤷🏻♀️ pic.twitter.com/XPp5FxHbEG
— Felicia (@astoldbyfelicia) November 10, 2021
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