INTERVIEW: JARED LETO TALKS ABOUT TRANSFORMING INTO A WOMAN FOR “DALLAS BUYERS CLUB”

Jared Leto hits the big screen in a Oscar buzz-worthy way, with his dramatic turn as a transgendered woman in Dallas Buyers Club, based on a true story.

Jared Leto has taken time away from acting in order to focus on his band Thirty Seconds to Mars but when the role of Rayon fell onto his lap, he couldn’t refuse the opportunity to play this transgendered woman with a whole lot of heart.

In Dallas Buyers Club, when Texan cowboy Ron Woodroof is diagnosed with HIV, he is prescribed a highly toxic drug and given thirty days to live. Refusing to accept this death sentence, Woodroof taps into the world of underground pharmaceuticals and becomes a kingpin of an unapproved alternative treatment that is both restorative and life extending. Woodroof struggles with the FDA as he helps spread awareness of the government’s misinformation, taking a stand against the politically corrupt who prefer to profit from the sick instead of aiding them in their recovery.

In this video interview, Leto talks about his passion for this character, his dramatic weight loss and how McConaughey played a part in his decision to jump on board this Oscar-buzzed movie.

Dallas Buyers Club is directed by Jean-Marc Vallee and stars Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto and Jennifer Garner. Opens November 1.

—Toni-Marie Ippolito