As a frontman of the rock band 30 Seconds to Mars, Jared Leto is no novice when it comes to sporting eyeliner. But for his role in Jean-Marc Vallée's based-on-a-true-story drama The Dallas Buyers Club Leto was asked take his androgyny act a few steps farther, playing an AIDS-afflicted cross-dresser called Rayon. Inspired by the true story of Ron Woodroof, the film centers on the womanizing, drug guzzling, homophobic AIDS patient, who is forced to smuggle drugs into the United States illegally to get the medicine he needs to survive.
This drama recently drew headlines for the dramatic weight loss Matthew McConaughey underwent to play Woodroof, and now E! has a photo of Leto's look for the feature, which you can see below:
Rayon becomes an unexpected ally to Woodroof, and it's suggested helps him traffic the life-saving but illegal antiviral drugs across U.S. borders. To be frank, I'm kind of stunned at how busted the typically handsome Leto looks in drag, but it's worth remembering he is meant to be a person suffering from the HIV virus and eluding the law, which could explain the gauntness and slashed stockings respectively. But really, no one could make that mangy jacket look good.
With the film officially in production in New Orleans, we have word that Steve Zahn and Dallas Roberts have joined the cast that also includes Jennifer Garner as a doctor helping Woodruff find alternative treatments. Variety reports Roberts, who recently appeared opposite Liam Neeson in The Grey, will play Woodruff's defense attorney David Wayne, who famously fought for the FDA to allow AIDS patients to access to Peptide T and Fluconazole. Zahn, who is always a welcomed presence, will portray a Dallas cop who looks the other way on Woodruff's smuggling as he sympathizes, having a father afflicted with Alzheimer's.
The Dallas Buyers Club is slated to hit theaters in 2013.
