The Most Obnoxious Things Jared Leto Did When He Played The Joker

The Method: Mailed unwrapped - but, contrary to rumor, not used - condoms to the actors playing the Suicide Squad.

The Madness: Did you not read that first line?! What the hell does this have to do with the Joker? The rumor took on a life of its own, with Leto himself joking that the rubbers were used. They weren't, as director David Ayer explained to Rolling Stone: "Look, they weren't used condoms.... Let's be real here. They're removed from their packages, but it wasn't actually used. And, of course, I was mortified. Like, 'Jared, put that stuff away - get that out of here, what are you doing?'"

But Maybe: When asked, Leto said, "I did a lot of things to create a dynamic to create an element of surprise, a spontaneity and to really break down any kind of walls that may be there." Yes, "walls," like the kind of walls established by Human Resources to avoid harassment allegations. (Or maybe your workplace has different Secret Santa traditions than everyone else's.)

The Method: Interrupting a rehearsal with a videotaped message and a dead pig.

The Madness: Much like the Joker would do (really?), Leto used production assistants on set to send dead farm animals to the nice men and women of the Suicide Squad (who are just playing bad guys).

But Maybe: Actually, several the actors said this kind of worked and really united the cast in an "us against him" sort of way. If this shows in the final product, Leto's approach will have paid off.

The Method: Sent mysteriously sticky copies of Playboy to Killer Croc actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje.

The Madness: It's to be inferred here that the Joker "took himself to dinner" while perusing the contents of Hugh Hefner's publication... and then sent it to an actual person who isn't really a DC villain.

But Maybe: Maybe Killer Croc gets his hands on Joker and reenacts that scene from Fight Club when Edward Norton wants to destroy something beautiful.

The Method: Leto had a rat delivered to Harley Quinn actress Margot Robbie. 

The Madness: Any fan knows the Joker and Harley's relationship is messed up, but does any actress deserve to have her more highly paid male co-stars sending her rodents?

But Maybe: These two characters are twisted, with Quinn torn between abject worship and justified disgust. Opening a package with a rat inside might just help convey the gruesome, contradictory push and pull between Mr. J and Miss Q.

The Method: Leto ordered actors like Jim Parrack, who played Joker lackey Johnny Frost, to do things like spray paint some roses black, gather a bunch of nine-inch nails, and handle dead animals.

The Madness: These guys are professional actors with their own ways of preparing for a role that probably doesn't involve indulging Leto's method acting.

But Maybe: It could've built up a stronger bond between Leto and the would-be henchmen. Or maybe it reminded them of the pecking order and goosed their performances with some legitimate annoyance at the actor's antics.

The Method: Asked about his process, Leto said, "There was definitely a period of... detachment. I took a pretty deep dive. But this was a unique opportunity and I couldn't imagine doing it another way. It was fun, playing those psychological games. But at the same time it was very painful, like giving birth out of my pr*ck hole."

The Madness: Can't really blame the Joker for this one. Leto is just obnoxious. Who even says "pr*ck hole"?

But Maybe: Leto's antics clearly got the attention the actor was looking for, but it wound up turning many audiences against him, meaning for once people actually disliked the Joker instead of tacitly cheering him on.