When Jared Leto starred in the Apple TV+ movie We Crashed playing Adam Newman, he said he didn’t know much about the WeWork co-founder. Newman was often portrayed in the media as an eccentric tycoon – someone who wanted to build offices on Mars, who often went without shoes and claimed close connections to political figures who gave him a voice in world events.
“I didn’t really have any preconceived notions, I just heard he was a very colorful character; leto says in this week’s edition of diverseAwards Circle Podcast. “And of course, then you see the headlines and you know he built a company from nothing into a $47 billion empire, and then it all fell apart.”
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Leto stars opposite Anne Hathaway (who plays Adam’s wife and business partner Rebecca Newman) in the eight-episode limited series. Based on the Wondery podcast “WeCrashed: The Rise and Fall of WeWork,” the story shows how the couple’s ambition and arrogance helped launch their startup — but also led to their downfall.
Leto has played real people before – he recently received a SAG Award nomination for his role in “House of Gucci” – but “WeCrashed” gave him a unique opportunity to actually meet the person he was portraying. Originally, Leto wasn’t planning on revealing that he sat down with Al Newman, until Adam talked about it in an interview. “So, the cat is out of the bag,” Leto says.
Leto said he did not tell the production that he was meeting them. “To be honest, I thought I’d regret it if I didn’t. I wanted to look him in the eye,” he notes. “Sometimes there is freedom in not knowing the person, not meeting the person, and other times, it may be worth meeting them. I also think, no matter how people succeed or fail, it is my job to find some sympathy. That is my job as an actor, to try Finding some understanding – It doesn’t mean that you agree with everything the character does, but it sure is in order to find some understanding, some motivation for you to know, why they made the choices in life that they did.”
The Oscar-winning actor has been known for transforming roles, such as his most unrecognizable recent role in “House of Gucci,” and facing Newman was no exception. When asked when he last played someone who looked like himself, Leto joked, “I mean Morbius would be the closest, but even he turns into a monster.”
In addition to the physical changes, Leto says it was interesting to play someone with a completely different temperament. “I’m actually a well-balanced-looking person, very nice,” Leto says. “He talks with a lot of focus and authority and he really pushes the sound and it was really hard. I felt like I was shooting an action movie. I was exhausted and literally in physical pain at the end of the day.”
But Leto has a lot of praise for everyone involved in the series, especially his co-star, Hathaway. “When I think of a classic actor, a true literal — it’s all that and more,” he said derisively. “I’ve been in awe of her work for a long time.”
Much has been said about Leto and Hathaway’s chemistry playing a married couple in a relationship that might be considered toxic, but viewers never question their passion for one another. Once again, Leto sings about his co-star’s talent, saying, “Look, when you have a cool guy in Annie, I think he probably has the chemistry with a knob.”
Variety’s “Awards Circuit” podcast, produced by Michael Schneider, is a one-stop-shop for listening to live conversations about the best of film and television. Each week, the Awards Arena presents interviews with the best film and television talents and creators. discussions and debates about award races and industry titles; And many, many more. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you download podcasts. New episodes are published every Thursday and Friday.
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