Years after playing The Joker in Suicide Squad, Jared Leto can’t escape the character. This has continued even as he promotes the upcoming thriller The Little Things. But Leto has been obliging interviewers’ comparisons between the DC supervillain and his mysterious character in the new film. He even speaks about the similarities between the two characters. But the Oscar winner found one specific way his Joker performance and his The Little Things character are remarkably similar.
To say, Jared Leto’s portrayal of The Joker in Suicide Squad was divisive would be an understatement. While the actor seemed like a great casting choice, critics and fans called out the writing for not using the beloved supervillain properly. To make things worse, Leto wasn't happy about Joaquin Phoenix's Oscar-winning performance in 2019's Joker. He has even compared suspected killer Albert Sparma in The Little Things to The Joker. Recently, the Oscar winner spoke on one specific similarity on Variety’s Award Circuit Podcast.
There are a few very few characters that you play that have absolutely no rules, you know, that you could just go to town. Sparma reminds me a little bit of that character [the Joker] as well in that he’s just a little outside the box. He’s someone who says everything that he thinks, basically. And he always is surprising. He’s very playful. And I found him actually quite funny as well. He could be a good guy or a bad guy, but he’s a fun guy!
Jared Leto’s description of Sparma in The Little Things painted an individual without boundaries or limits. It’s easy to see where the Joker comparisons are coming from, considering how off-the-walls the actor’s portrayal was.
In the case of The Little Things, the actor plays Albert Sparma who may or may not be the serial killer that a local sheriff and LA detective (played by fellow Oscar winners Denzel Washington and Rami Malek, respectively) are on the hunt for. The film also features Natalie Morales, Terry Kinney and Chris Bauer.
After the release of The Little Things, Jared Leto has a slate of projects lined up. He will be headline Sony Pictures’ Morbius, which will be released on Mar. 19. He is slated to appear in the biopic Gucci with Lady Gaga, Robert De Niro and Adam Driver along with the next Tron installment. He is still attached to the Andy Warhol biopic and reportedly appearing in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. He is apparently in talks to make his television return with the AppleTV+ series WeCrashed.
Jared Leto’s comparison between the characters displayed his affection for the Crown Prince of Crime still lingers even after a disastrous reception. You can check out The Little Things when it arrives in theaters and on HBO Max on Jan. 21.
