Jared Leto life and biography

Jared Leto is an American actor, director, producer and musician. Leto has starred in both big budget Hollywood films and the smaller projects from independent producers and art houses. He rose to prominence for playing brooding heartthrob Jordan Catalano in the cult hit teenage drama My So-Called Life (1994), becoming a teen idol. He later made his film debut in the drama How to Make an American Quilt (1995) and received first notable critical praise for his performance in Prefontaine (1997). Leto obtained recognition for his subsequent work in supporting roles in The Thin Red Line (1998) and Girl, Interrupted (1999), as well as the leading role in the successful horror film Urban Legend (1998), and earned critical acclaim after portraying heroin addict Harry Goldfarb in Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream (2000). He has collaborated with director David Fincher in Fight Club (1999) and Panic Room (2002). Since the 2000s, Leto has been nominated for awards for his work in such films as American Psycho (2000), Highway (2002), Lord of War (2005), Lonely Hearts (2006), Chapter 27 (2007), and Mr. Nobody (2009).

Aside from his film career, Leto is the lead vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and main songwriter for the rock band 30 Seconds to Mars. He formed the band in 1998 in Los Angeles, California, along with his older brother Shannon Leto. Signed with Immortal and Virgin, 30 Seconds to Mars released their self-titled debut album in 2002 to positive reviews. The band's follow-up album, A Beautiful Lie (2005), was a breakthrough success, going platinum in several countries. However their record label Virgin, filed a $30 million lawsuit against the Leto brothers accusing them as breaching their contract. The lawsuit was later annulled as the band decided to resign to Virgin, and This Is War, the band's third album, arrived in December 2009 to critical praise. Leto has also directed several critically acclaimed band's music videos, including the MTV Video Music Award nominated "The Kill" (2006), "Kings and Queens" (2009), and "Hurricane" (2010).

Jared Leto's story is a very charmed one, as he rose from television roles to film roles, to giving head-turning performances in famous projects alongside A-list casts. And all this on the side of his band 30 Seconds to Mars. Certainly it's not been easy for Leto, but he has earned his success and it will only fascinate to see what he does next.

A committed environmentalist, Leto has received praise from environmental groups for his activism. His romantic relationships have been widely covered in the media. Following a high-profile relationship with American actress Cameron Diaz, he is currently in a relationship with Danish model Katharina Damm.

Filmography:

1999: Fight Club
1999: Girl, Interrupted
2000: American Psycho
2000: Requiem for a Dream
2005: Lord of War
2006: Lonely Hearts
2007: Chapter 27
2009: Mr. Nobody

Director:

2006: "The Kill"
2006: "From Yesterday"
2008: "A Beautiful Lie"
2009: "Kings and Queens"
2010: "Closer to the Edge"
2010: "Hurricane"

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