Born in Bossier City, Louisiana, in 1971, Jared lived with mother Constance (remarried), brother Shannon (photographer and actor) and two half-brothers (of deceased father).

Jared attended school, but admittedly hung around with the "freaks" In tenth grade he left school, only to go on to graduate from Flint Hill Preparatory in Oakton, VA. He eventually found his passion for acting and attended the School Of Visual Arts in New York. While there he starred in his own movie..."Crying Joy".

In 1992 he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career. In 1994, he got his big in the TV series My So-Called Life, starring opposite Claire Danes as her love interest Jordan Catalano, a shy, mysterious boy that made him a sex symbol with the girls.

His debut feature film came the following year in How to Make an American Quilt, also with Claire Danes, and the following year he co-starred in Last of the High Kings which was eventually only released on video. By this time Hollywood producers were beginning to notice him and he was giving the leading role in Prefontaine, playing the title character.

In 1998 Jared came across his first big budget box office hit, with Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line and made sure that his face and name became engraved on the cinema-goers minds with his role in Urban Legend.

A string of small roles in high-profile films followed. Acting alongside heavyweights Brad Pitt and Ed Norton, Jared was the blond Angel Face of David Fincher's Fight Club.

And he added to his status as a hunk with appearances as Winona Ryder's boyfriend in Girl, Interrupted and as a gay high school teacher who attracts the attentions of Robert Downey Jr. in Black And White.

After a four-year romance with actress Cameron Diaz, the two recently split. Much speculation has mounted around the reasons behind the split, including talk Leto was jealous of Diaz's hot career and that he was more interested in his band 30 Seconds To Mars.

Jared Leto has recently been cast to play the role of Hephaestion, Alexander the Great's best friend and homosexual lover in Oliver Stone's latest movie, "Alexander". The role was originally offered to Brad Pitt but was turned down due to pressure from his wife, Jennifer Aniston. Alexander is to be played by Colin Farrell.

Back to Top