Talk:Jared Leto

Sourcing

I've moved the quotes formerly under the "Sourced" section to the "Unsourced" section because they don't include sufficient source information to be "Sourced". For example, several of the quotes are 'sourced' to "TV interview"; for this to be a complete source, we would need to what TV show and what episode/air date it was, so that some could check that specific episode and check the quote. With newspaper articles, sufficient sourcing would require the name of the newspaper, the title of the article, and the date of publication, at minimum (page numbers would be nice, but are not strictly necessary). —LrdChaos (talk) 18:35, 9 August 2007 (UTC) FROM JARED"S #1 FAN!!!!: Jared Leto is sexier than hell! *kiss kiss* ok

Quotes JaredLetoMedia.com (this page doesn't exist anymore!)

Personal

"I dropped out in the 10th grade because I just wasn't interested. I was a bad boy. I'm reformed now. Let's put it this way, just wait until they make the Dazed and Confused of my generation."
"My mom's father was in the Air Force, so moving around a lot was a normal way of life."
"My coolest job was when I was 12 and I was a dishwasher at the Three Pigs Bar-B-Que for $2.50 an hour. All the fleabags and stoners worked there, so that's where I wanted to be."
"No, I don't wear contacts, and contrary to what some people have said, I do not have a glass eye."
"I live a really private life and that's attractive to me. I think as I get more successful, the more private it will be."
"You know you're really famous when there's rumors about you being gay."
"All those reports that I sleep in my closet. I don't know how people get that. People are so obsessed with what you do at home."
"I fall in love with every beautiful girl I meet. That's about the stupidest thing I've ever heard! I'm about the most opposite of that statement you could ever imagine."
"I have no desire to show the world my dirty underwear."
"So many people have tried to get happiness and serenity from outside things; it's pretty much common knowledge that that is a road to nowhere. I've never heard anybody say, 'Fame made me the complete person I am.' Well, I'm sure people have said it, but nobody I respect."
"If I'm ever at a really dramatic, emotional moment in my life, there's a little part of me that goes, "Remember this, always."
"The only sport I ever played on a team was hockey. I played right wing. I only played for a while because we moved from the North to the South, and who plays hockey in the South? It costs a million dollars."
"When I was a kid my mom would take me to cool films all the time. I grew up with the great films of Scorsese."
"I usually have four books going. When I was real young, the books that I reread were the Narnia chronicles by C.S. Lewis. They were fantasy with some undercover kind of religious ideas snuck in there."
"I hate to break it to you, but sex was just one of many things I was doing for the first time around that preteen age. I was a bad boy. I hung with the freaks and did crazy things."
"People think that they're special or different just because they're an actor. I think there's a romantic notion about artistry and drugs because of the obvious creative impact that some drugs have in the short term. I think people enable performers to do drugs. It's okay for them because they're creating and that's the lifestyle and they need it because they have such pressures. But I don't think those are such great reasons. There are tons of people out there that go through problems, drug addiction, alcoholism, whatever. Look how many plumbers and construction workers, bankers and stock-market guys are walking around the corner buying bags of dope every day. I just think that human beings have an addictive nature."
"It's not like I'm hanging out at shopping malls or going to celebrity golf tournaments. I'm so in my own little world. I got my dog, my music, my brother, a couple of friends."
"I'm just a throbbing organism of nervous energy, kicking and twitching."
"The idea that I would ever end up on David Letterman or Jay Leno is horrifying. I am such a freak in comparison to most other twenty-five-year-old guys. I have no idea what other people are thinking. I'm not really in touch."
"I don't like doing interviews. I'm not pretending to be some superneurotic, hiding in my closet. I could care less about anybody knowing who I am, but I realize this is part of the game. Maybe if I really hated this whole public thing, I would go do plays in Hoboken."
Teens are always shown as one dimensional. They're stereotyped. When I was in high school, I cared about more than getting a date or making the team. Your teen years are a time when you deal with some deep issues. Your feelings are on the line. Why can't more movies and TV shows be about those emotions? Then they'd really have something to say. That's why I was so proud of My So-Called Life. The stories hooked me emotionally. I think that's what it should all be about."
"Our little family traveled around a lot. We lived in towns in Louisiana, Virginia, Colorado and Wyoming, but we also lived in South America and Haiti."
"It was great growing up a nomad. To this day I still love hiking and back packing."
"I just want to do good work with people I respect. I want to have a little dignity." 
"If I was ever a teen idol, I'd kill myself."
"You know, I think everybody has something. I think whether it's sex or drugs or the Internet or umm, work or food, it's just kind of an innate part of being human. It's an age-old dilemma that we've kind of lived with forever. You know, we have this need to kind of get outside of ourselves, you know? And we usually grab for something..."
"I have never been one to put my personal life up for sale."
"Some people live their life an open book and they feel fine. But I'm a private person."
"I've dreamt of sharks my whole life. I dream of being surrounded by thousands of sharks that are chewing me to bits. I've always had really wild, intense, vivid, vivid dreams."
"I have pretty apocalyptic, insane dreams. I dream frequently of sharks in the sea underneath me, biting me in half. I dreamt last night that I was an alien creature, kind of like a phoenix or a griffin or something, and my skin was made of fire, and I was battling another creature above the earth, and I could see the curvature of the world. That was pretty on par with most of my dreams." 
"It's [New York] the greatest city on earth. When I walk the streets, I feel amazing."
"When I was a kid I was the king of mullets. If you're wearing a rock T-shirt and you're a fan of Rush - one of the greatest bands in the universe - you've got to have a mullet."
"I wanted to be a visual artist because I grew up around a lot of painters and photographers and had a very artistic upbringing. And I fantasized about being a drug-dealer when I was a kid. I thought it would be a good opportunity; I knew that the market would be strong. Is that bizarre?"
"I was raised by my mom and we moved many, many times. There were some very interesting living situations. When I was 12 we were in Haiti; that was an unforgettable experience. It's a sophisticated country in some ways, but at the same time it's also the poorest country in the western hemisphere. While I was there I was climbing mango trees and just having a freak-out on the whole place."
"I was very much in my own world, never the popular kid. But I had a great family, a great brother and mother."
"I was studying at School of Visual Arts in New York and left to join my brother, who was doing demolition derby, in Indiana. He was teaching me and I was out there for a while with him. Then he got into a little trouble with the law and got locked up, so I came to Los Angeles with a backpack and couple hundred bucks in my pocket."
"I listen to a lot of '80s soundtrack music. Sometimes The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink but more of the Tangerine Dream-type stuff. Aphex Twin is always fun to sleep to. I've always loved Bjork, and Peter Gabriel's Passion [Music For the Last Temptation of Christ] is one of the most amazing albums I've ever heard."
"I think I'm going take some time off from making movies and explore some other things in life. I might just get in an RV, or my car, and go visit all 50 states."
"I don't like to leave the house, unless I have to. I would prefer living in a cave, with a door. Maybe a giant hobbit cave, with furry rugs. Something really cozy, with a fireplace - something you could stay in for six to 15 months at a time."
"I want to be taken to the middle of the forest and have a hole dug in the fresh dirt and have my naked, freshly dead corpse tossed into the ground with a light layer of dirt spread over it so the animals could come and just kind of gnaw away at me."
"I stole a lot when I was a kid, but I wouldn't steal one candy; I'd take the whole carton. I also used to like to break into other people's houses and sit in their rooms. I found it very comforting to be in someone's empty house."
"One memory I have is there were a lot of dogs at this one place and my brother got in a horrific fight with a dog and the dog bit his toe off. They became fast friends after that. He lost a toe and gained a friend."
"It's [Haiti] the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. It was horrible seeing people living in the street, in shacks, and bathing in sewer water and drinking bad water and begging and starving. It was unforgettable."
"I had never been to California and it was always a magic place to me. My brother was racing demolition cars in Indiana and he got in trouble and got locked up. So I came out here. The first night, I slept on Venice Beach."
"I take computers practically apart and put them back together. I have a supercomputer I built over the years out of different computers."
"Years ago, there was a rumor going around that I was dead because I was working in Ireland. Once I got back, people who seemed very upset would come up to me and say, "We thought you were dead!"
"I like to go for long drives in the desert, find a quiet spot, and blast my f***in' glock."
"I've always liked Saturn. But I also have some sympathy for Pluto because I heard it's been downgraded from a planet, and I think it should remain a planet. Once you've given something planetary status it's kind of mean to take it away."
"DVD box sets are really good on a tour bus because you get hooked in for hours at a time while you're driving from Texas to Atlanta. I also just watched the first season of 24, I thought that was really good, too."
"I've always had an understanding and a connection and a good relationship with gay men and women. And I don't want to censor myself about the f***ing subject because I don't have a problem with gay or straight or any of that."
"I grew up around a lot of artists and liberal-minded people. I was never very sheltered."
"I've had one girlfriend my entire life."
"I'm attracted to so many different types of women. I'm an equal opportunity employer."
"I've never had that feeling of attraction that I have with women. But if I saw a man and I was attracted... I would probably follow through with it. Of course, that's easy for me to say now. If it happened, maybe it would be a confusing and difficult thing, considering the world that we live in."
"Sometimes you want to buy a f***ing island and disappear."
"I was never interested in 'Teen Beat' like roles. I just wanted to work." 
"I showed up in LA with $500 and a backpack and I stayed at a shelter, so nobody handed me anything. I worked for every single thing that I have."
"We all create a world for ourselves. We live within it and whether it's our comfort zone, our creative zone, professional, sexual, or whatever it is, we live in our own kind of circles and cycles. It's something that you sometimes want to break out of."
"I've always been fascinated with otherworldly elements - signs and symbols and their relationships with cultures and subcultures."
"As anyone knows who works with their siblings, it can be challenging in it's own ways, but rewarding in other ways. There's a connectivity and a knowledge of each other that allows you to work on a different level where other people can't communicate or connect creatively in quite the same way."
"Someone told me, when I was younger, that a good play or book will tell you what it's about just by the title. I like that, but I also like things that aren't necessarily spelled out. I find it interesting when things unravel."
"I don't work out, but I do go rock climbing and race motorcycles. My brother's a really successful demolition-derby driver. He's tried to teach me how to do that. But I don't really see the danger in these things. I mean, it's more dangerous driving down the freeway--trusting all those people with those big cars."
"That's what the problem is with the internet, this great escape that we have, everything automatically becomes `fact'!"
"I spent some time in prison. Just the normal stuff. Listen, I've had so much edge in my life, I don't need to contrive any. I'm not gonna front like Mr Angst."
"I heard one when I was a kid about the Pepsi commercial with Michael Jackson. There was this kid in the commercial, Alfonso Ribeiro from that old TV show Silver Spoons. Well, my friends and I heard Alfonso did a head spin for the commercial and broke his neck and died. Lo and behold, he turned up on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air years later."
"I was raised around a lot of artists, musicians, photographers, painters and people that were in theatre. Just having the art-communal hippie experience as a child, there wasn't a clear line that was drawn. We celebrated creative experience and creative expression. We didn't try and curtail it and stunt any of that kind of growth."
"As I get older, the more interested I become in history and I found that with my friends as well. You kind of look to the past. And I'm definitely fascinated by history."
"I could really give a flying f*** about heat, hot, this, not. I don't care, because when you're hot, everyone's ready for you to come down and when you're not, I don't know. I think that's something somebody else needs to think about. I think I want to make myself proud. I want to really try to have fun and I want to work on some great movies and have some great experiences."
"I have a lot of other things I'm passionate about in my life." 

About Others

"Brad [Pitt] is the nicest guy in the world, and he's not acting. I wish I had that. I have a great time watching him. When Brad does takes, even when David would ask him to do 30 of them, he always throws something in and improvises. The reason I think he's such a big star is he's always so truthful and so real that it sucks you in."
"She [Jennifer Connelly] is such a fine-tuned instrument. She just blows your mind when you work with her. And she's so helpful to a young actor like me, because she helped me stop acting and just kind of live with her in the moment."
"I found [his technique] exciting, and I love the fact that Darren [Aronofsky] is a visionary and has a completely unique way of doing things. That's why I wanted to make this film."
"He's [Brother, Shannon Leto] always been a very tribal and guttural drummer. He's the second coming of John Bonham! He's a great sound-board, and being so close for years, Shannon helps me define ideas and take it to another level."
"Brian [Virtue] was a key element to helping us define our sound."
"She is definitely the cool mom [Constance], but I don't think any mother wants their kid dropping out of school. I did go back and finish. My mother always wanted to surround [my brother and me] with creativity." 
"There are a lot of geniuses out there. Aristotle, Socrates, David Fincher [Fight Club director] ... Terrence Malick, he directed The Thin Red Line."
"Panic Room was a great opportunity for him [David Fincher] to inflict some more damage on me. There are definitely some mangled body parts. But he's a great person to work with, so knowledgeable about what he's doing every second of the day, that it's a pleasure to be in his world."
"My mother [Constance], when we were kids, was a circus performer! She was an acrobat and trapeze artist."
"David's [Fincher] really intense. I hesitate to use the word genius because I think he's too handsome to be a genius. He's downright sexy. And he has got to be the most knowledgeable person I've ever met. He sets up a world that is filled with so much truth, from the tiles on the floor to the paint cracking in the corner, that is enables you as an actor to do your job."
"In all honesty, it's so exciting to go to the set every day to be part of what he's [David Fincher] doing. Even if his movies aren't your cup of tea, you can't walk away from them without acknowledging the craftsmanship that goes into them."
"Forest [Whitaker] can show the most subtle of emotions in his face. I like to watch his takes when I'm not in the scene. And Dwight [Yoakam], he's playing one of the utmost son-of-a-bitches on the planet, and he does it really, really well. He's horrifying."
"She's [Jodie Foster] very interesting to watch. You respect her. You can see her thinking, which is good for this kind of character in a thriller."
"The guy's [Frank Herbert] a f***in' genius. He created a whole universe. The depth and commitment he made to write that book is just incredible."
"I find his [Miles Davis] music to be really moving and emotional. He's just a cool motherf***er."
"Colin [Farrell] was really great and carefree with all of it."
"Working with those directors and being in those films was great. Working with Darren though was incredible. He supported me and kept me from going off the deep end while working 'Requiem for a Dream.' I didn't experience the things I went through alone - we experienced them together."
"I think U2 is a great example of staying relevant and musical and growing and just having a certain amount of dignity as well while they're doing it."
"Touring with Puddle of Mudd was a fantastic opportunity. To be able to play in front of thousands of people every night was a dream come true for a new band like us. We are really grateful to them for giving us that. They are all really good people and treated us great."
"Bob Ezrin is one of the world's greatest producers. He was at the top of our list from the very beginning, literally. We felt he had the ability to help us bring the size and scope of what we wanted to this album, and he did. Brian Virtue is an amazing new producer and was with us every step of the way and was a key element in helping us define our sound."
"Making the album with Bob [Ezrin] was tumultuous; it had it's own dynamic, but creatively, it was rewarding. He definitely raised the bar."
"He's [Darren Aronofsky] a lot like [David] Fincher. That's the easiest comparison. They're both amazing craftsman and meticulous filmmakers. I'm proud to have worked with both of them."
"He's [Terrence Malick] open to the environment. He'll have a shot set up and then a butterfly will come into the screen and he'll shoot that."
"He [Oliver Stone] could be everything. He could be intense, he could coddle somebody, he could cajole them, he can terrify you, he can be funny. He's very smart; he works with different people different ways. But the thing with Oliver is, if you're good and you work hard and do your job, he respects you. You don't, you show up and you're not doing your job well, then you better figure out a way to do it fast because, and that's great because he doesn't pull punches. He'll come up and be like "It's great. It's great. Terrible! Great! Ok, do it a different way. And do it again." Then he'll come back and be like, "Great! That was what I was looking for. You were terrible."
"You think Oliver Stone is going to cut a scene out of a movie because it's too racy? What the f***? Has anyone ever seen his movies? First of all, who is going to make him cut anything. Did you guys just talk to him? Did he answer a question? You know what I mean, do you talk to Oliver? He's a genius, he's a mad genius. He's of his own world."
"Oliver [Stone] is a hero of mine. To be able to work with your heroes is a very rare thing."

Acting

"I've got to confess that film is my first love. I do not hold theater in any higher regard than film. To me, theater can be as bad and banal and commercial as film can be - or as great. There are just two different ways to tell a story, I suppose."
"I don't plan on acting much longer. I'll probably act less and less as I get older - if I live long enough."
"It's easy to do an Irish Spring accent, but it's hard to do one that will convince the Irish."
"As an actor I like to keep myself separate from what other people are doing. I think there is strength in being your own person."
"I can feel pain on cue. I can get inside myself and sometimes there are tears. I go for a long, long time without crying. The more you do it, it's easier to do."
"I got lucky really soon, so I'm still trying to learn what I'm doing. I'm learning in front of the camera."
"You get knocked down critically so many times in this business when your movie comes out and doesn't do well. I've been knocked down, but I consider myself fortunate. I was fortunate to do a movie like Urban Legend. Even when my ego says, Oh, this isn't an artsy movie, it's just amazing I get to do a movie like this and get paid for it."
"I knew acting would take over my life if I really wanted a career."
"Horror movies are all about finding ways to trick an audience into being frightened. It's not about exploring deep things about your characters."
"I decided I wanted to be an actor, pursued it, auditioned, got roles, got more, learned what I wanted to do, and just worked at it all along the way, you know, try try try."
"I like comedies and maybe some time I'll do one at some point. But you know what? I've finally figured out what I want, and it's that I want to work with filmmakers that have a point of view and films that have something to say. They can be entertaining, I don't want to do Requiem for a Dream every time out. I'd f***ing kill myself."
"I consider myself to be one lucky motherf***er, you know? I have an amazing job. I think it's one of the best jobs in the world. It's so much fun and always exciting. And it's definitely an escape in many ways."
"I'm interested in working with directors who have unique visions [and I'm interested in working on] projects that have something to say. You know, I'm not opposed to entertainment and something could be light or funny, it's just that I'm kind of not interested in most of the crap that flies through the cinemas these days. I mean we all see the movies, most of the films that are out there are horrible. And I'm interested in kind of challenging myself and kind of taking the road less traveled, I guess, you know. That's for right now. We'll see what happens later. But I kind of want to push the envelope and be part of films that want to do that, as well."
"You won't be seein' me puttin' on tights anytime soon."
"I tend to try not to beat up on myself too much. I've done that in the past. Working on films you can be pretty brutal on yourself. But, you know, I try to take it easy on myself. I just think the roles and what happens to me is just a strange, odd coincidence. A lot of people ask me about that, actually, and I'm sure kind of propagate some "I want to die" theory. But it's just more of reflection of the projects and the characters and the directors and it just happens to be an odd chance that I end up getting burnt or cut up or killed or whatever else it is, getting my feet broken, you know? It's just more of a reflection of the projects than anything."
"Acting is so all-encompassing that it becomes your job and your hobby and your friends and enemies are all together sometimes. And also it's difficult because if you try to find your artistic reward in your job, there's some conflict there, you know, kind of mixing art and commerce. So there's always the challenge with that. But it is how I make my living and it is where I get my artistic reward and I'm really happy with it. It's a great job."
"I've just been at a point in my life where I want to push myself and explore different avenues, and that hasn't really included the commercialism that is kind of strapped into our systems in this industry."
"I've rejected lots of commercial films that went on to make 100 million dollars. "They make those movies every year. They're what pays the bills, and they're always around. You can always make a commercial, big, bloated movie."
"I don't really think about that too much in terms of competition. If I get a role, I guess it's meant to be mine. There are definitely a lot of actors who are going to get parts before I do, and that's fine because they probably deserve them for their own reasons."
"I feel proud of what I've done recently, and that's a nice feeling. I haven't had that too often, you know? I have films [in my background] that I refuse to utter the title of. I'd better stop, I'm being too honest."
"Sometimes I do question, "What is wrong with me?" Some people I respect a lot have a great time making films that are light and fun, and I think that's fantastic, if that's what makes them feel good. Maybe they're having more fun than I am. That's what I question. Right now I want to work on projects that take chances and aren't afraid to be unconventional. You have to do what moves you. I liked working with Darren Aronofsky on Requiem For A Dream. I would be happy going back and forth between Darren and David Fincher for the rest of my career. But I do sometimes wonder what it would be like to do something light. I probably will at some point."
"I remember hiding behind an overturned desk, shooting imaginary guns at people. One time, I stopped and said, "I can't do this. I feel like I'm in a bad high school play. I'm sorry I'm wasting your time, but I've got to go."
"I haven't auditioned for a year. Auditioning can be exciting, but most of the time it just makes you sick. I'm really not interested in being the guy who works the most. I could see taking several years off."
"You have to earn it. That's something that I have to strive for: to be part of things that are good and have some dignity to them. I don't want to feel cheap, you know."
"I've made, I think, three movies in the last five years. I doubt if anyone in this town would advise that."
"It's not a fascination with the dark side, but given the choice, I'd rather work with directors that have a vision, on projects that have something unique to say and that challenge me. Roles [like Harry Goldfarb] are difficult to come by."
"I did movies that maybe people didn't like, maybe they weren't good, they didn't support, that Miramax didn't put out. It's painful. I work hard. I do a lot of preparation. When that happens, it breaks your heart. I get offered movies that I don't want to do that go on to make a ton of money. I just reacted - I'm gonna take a piece of the f***ing pie. It was probably a mistake." 
"I enjoy the movies I've been doing because they're provocative, they're not polite. They take a chance. They're not afraid to slap you in the face."
"After appearing in so many heavily dramatic films it might be time to consider a comedy. It might be nice to try. So far in my career, this is kind of like more masochism. What is up with that? Maybe I need a spanking."

30 Seconds To Mars

"Right now, my music is a private thing. It's not that I'm a closet musician. I'm not ready to have people judge that aspect of my life right now."
"I felt like we were like race horses, [because we] had been training for so long, we were just so ready."
"We're not that new. We've done West Coast tours up and down and around California. We've been playing shows for years now. We always play unannounced shows and change our names every show we play."
"I feel that as a writer there's enough people out there singing about their dads and their girlfriends, so I find other sources for inspiration."
"Right now I'm, I'm completely focused and committed to making the music and completing the cycle with live performance. I love acting. It's a great thing to be able to do. I love making music, and I will continue to do both as long as I'm inspired to do so. I'm not in a race to see who can make the most albums, have the most hit singles, make the most money, or make the most movies. I'm interested in being faithful to my creative impulses and following my gut."
"It ran the spectrum of fun and excitement to 'Where's my gun! There were moments of total self-doubt and despair thinking, 'This is shit, and no one is ever going to buy it'- not buying it literally, but accept it. And then there were moments where we thought we had something really special and we want to share it with the world."
"At the beginning of this album, we said, 'Let's not doubt, let's not gate ourselves, let's reach as far as we can and not be afraid to fail miserably just to see what we can do.' I think sometimes we succeeded. Not all the time, but we made a good effort. And we're proud of the record."
"I don't want to be some actor talking about how he wants to be a musician. It's something I'm really passionate about and I don't want to be spouting off at the mouth about something before it's out there and can speak for itself."
"I play a lot of things. The xylophone. I've been known to pluck a harp a few times."
"We used to play shows in and around California and we would change our name every night because at that point we were just doing it for ourselves. We were signed in '99 but we never thought we would make a CD."
"In a lot of ways, this band is a reaction and a way for us to deal with our frustration with music, because we're such music fans. We wanted to build something that had depth and substance, something that wasn't disposable."
"It's like the perfect amalgamation of everything we've always wanted to hear and music inspired by albums we grew up with, like Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin or the Who - or even bands like Yes or Rush, or the Cure and U2. Bands that had weight."
"I think 30 Seconds to Mars were inspired, aesthetically, by bands like that [Pink Floyd], bands that pay a lot of attention to detail and nuances."
"I've been making music my whole life. My brother plays the drums, so we've been playing together off and on since we were little kids. And it just kind of took on a natural evolution and became something we were more and more invested in as we got older and ultimately led to something we went public with, rather than just having it be just a private experience for both of us."
"It was very difficult to actually get a deal, because I think people were hesitant to get involved with someone who had another career."
"I've been on the road since Jan. 30. We've played 158 shows this year. And I've made a commitment creatively and professionally to what I'm doing in front of me."
"I'm not doing it half-assed. I think probably a big part of the reason why so many people have embarrassed themselves before and done such a horrible job is that they haven't made a commitment. They've been hobbyists."
"I wanted to do something that's really ambitious, something that was dynamic and powerful, at times intimate and other times bombastic... It's just about, in my gut, what really moves me creatively."
"I believe that your environment effects your artistic expression."
"I'm really acutely aware of the challenges that are in front of us, and this has always been something that we, as a band, have always been driven to do because we are driven to be creative."
"The recording of the album took three years. And before that, we spent every second we had for six years in the studio working on material and developing what this latest thing was about."
"I'm just compelled to do what I do with music. It more borders on obsessive-compulsive territory, something I'm just driven to do."
"Every time we play a show and people are introduced to the music, or we go to a radio station and we know that it's an opportunity for 30 Seconds to Mars to be heard, that's huge for us. We put our lives into this. We put our hearts and our souls into this. This is something that we've been so dedicated to, committed to and passionate about for so long that we're going to do whatever we have to do to make it work. To make it heard."
"Now that the record's out, this is something that I'm 100% committed to and passionate about, and we're going to make it work if we have to do it from club to club in the back of a van. We're going to make it work for us."
"I think you've got to just let the music take you to where it takes you. There is a consistency with our intentions. We're not going to be onstage pretending to be The Strokes and Iron Maiden the next. We're 30 Seconds to Mars, and there's an intention that's consistent. We get immersed in what we're doing and how we feel about the music when we perform. We try to let it direct us."
"The name 30 Seconds To Mars has little to do with space, the universe or anything like that. It is a name that works on several different levels. Most importantly, it is a good representation of our sound. It's a phrase that is lyrical, suggestive, cinematic, and filled with immediacy. It has some sense of otherness to it. The concept of space is so overwhelming and all encompassing I doubt there is a song written that doesn't fall within it."
"Everything on this album is about real human experience. That is the single most inspiring source for us, the human struggle. Lyrically, it's a very personal album that sometimes uses otherworldly elements and/or conceptual ideas to illustrate a truthful personal situation."
"In a film, you are filling in a character that has specific conditions that surround it. You have to follow and encourage the story line. With music, we dictate the story, character, mood and everything else. We create the world rather than just support it. They are both unique and really amazing ways to be able to express oneself."
"I learn and am inspired by all kinds of different experiences in my life. Sometimes, the process of writing Thirty Seconds To Mars material causes me to look from the outside in, sometimes from the inside out. It depends on what my intention is."
"I think there are enough people singing about their girlfriends or their dads. And doing a pretty good job of it. I prefer to look to other sources for inspiration."
"Music is something I'm passionate about, just like I am about the other things I do. But I don't live in a cave. I know that some people known for their acting have done a really embarrassingly bad f***ing job of making music. Our experience with this band, though, is that people are responding to the music and seeing through that other stuff."
"Any kind of otherworldly reference to space that is made on this album is only a metaphor for a personal human experience. But these sources and metaphors are only used to describe something that's personal and real and, ultimately, just human. But there was an interesting dichotomy, a kind of contradiction with the technology and the organic world that we were surrounded by while making this album. It's something that I think ended up in the music."
"I tried to be true to real life while I was making this album. As unreal and otherworldly as some of the elements are, I always wanted to make it relevant to what's going on, because I've always believed that's an important part of my job. If you're not doing that, then you're not really awake."
"What we grew up listening to and what we're interested in as 30 Seconds To Mars is depth, substance and building something that's made to last."
"To me, 30 Seconds To Mars is dynamic, atmospheric, melodic, lyrical and at times, hopefully, challenging. It's something that has substance and power."
"Making music is definitely an escape. Performing music, listening to music, being at a show, watching a band; these are all definitely ways that we use to get out of ourselves. It's human. We're always searching and pushing forward and trying to find something outside of ourselves."
"We are very proud of what we did with the album. We had high expectations. We wanted to do something that was dynamic and engaging and try to sound as much like ourselves as possible and I think we succeeded. It is an admirable effort and we worked our asses off." 
"We are really interested in building a strong foundation with this album. This isn't just us plugging in and playing. We were meticulous in making everything about the band -- the artwork, the sounds and the imagery -- work as one." 
"I don't live in a cave, so I am aware of the horribly embarrassingly bad music that people who are known as actors have made. People rightly so have a preconceived notion that, `Oh, he is in that movie and now he has an album out. It has got to suck.' What we have found is that people are almost relieved that it is good and that the band has broken that cliche."
"We have found a lot of support and enthusiasm for this band and to tell you the truth, we expected a much harder battle. I think people can tell the truth from a lie -- and it's nice people are giving us a chance."
"It's inevitable that the lead singer and songwriter of the band is gonna get a lot of focus. On top of that, my situation is definitely unique. But to tell you the truth, out here on the road it's not really a big deal."

"I’ll give you an example of the level of interest on the road. It’s like, ‘Your show was awesome. Man, you were great in "Fight Club." Can you sign my 30 Seconds to Mars CD?’ It’s a footnote."

"There have been [actors] that have made some horrendous music and have done an embarrassingly bad job at attempting to be a musician. What 30 Seconds to Mars has had to do is clean up that mess."
"I know my intentions, so I don't have to question myself. And I believe that people can ultimately tell a pile of (crap) from a mountain of gold. I think 30 Seconds to Mars is somewhere in between: not the worst, not the best. But I think people can tell where we're coming from and can tell the truth from a lie."
"We always responded to groups that had a sense of identity and atmosphere."
"Sometimes I feel a little compelled to try and break down the fourth wall as much as possible. In those big places, you're much more separated from the experience. You're separated from your band mates; you're separated from the audience. So you feel really removed. I like to create a little bit more connectivity between the audience and us."
"As far as playing in an amphitheater or arena, it can definitely bring out a different energy than playing in a more intimate situation. But I really enjoy the clubs. The past two shows have been some of the best we've played all year long. It's just an incredible intensity with that size of a place."
"We've all beaten ourselves up in one way or another this year. I cut my chin open and had to have about seven stitches (after) running into the bass. And when we were shooting a video, I knocked myself in the head with my own guitar. I had a huge lump on my head for the whole video."
"I played 160-something shows in 2002. I couldn’t possibly find time to do anything else besides this. I live on a bus right now, I make 20 bucks a day and I’m happy about that."
"We are really interested in building a strong foundation with this album. This isn't just us plugging in and playing. We were meticulous in making everything about the band -- the artwork, the sounds and the imagery -- work as one."
"There are many songs on this album that are an indication of where we have been and there are some that are an indication to where we are going. I think it will be exciting to sit down and work on the next album 'cause it is going to embrace a lot of new elements."
"I still make music and I have another record out on Virgin Records in April." 

Films

Awake

"It's about a young guy that goes into a hospital to get a heart transplant. He gets put under anesthesia, and when he goes under he realizes he can hear and feel everything, but he can't move. The doctors are ripping his heart open and pulling it out of his chest. And then, well, some other things happen but I can't talk about it. But my character in the movie, he has to go through his memories to try and figure out what's going on."

Lord Of War

"It's a character piece. Part social commentary, part political film about an arms dealer and the impact and sale of weapon in the world. It's a really really cool movie."
"I play the brother of Vitali Orlof and we're Russian immigrants to America, we grew up in America. And he starts selling weapons and we go around the world together selling weapons. I kind of get a little obsessed with some things and distracted, you know caught up with drugs and stuff."
"I just finished the Lord of War with Nic Cage and a director named Andrew Niccol and I can say enough about Andrew; he did Gattaca and The Truman Show and he's a really talented, gifted guy. Ethan Hawke is in the movie and Bridget Moynahan and a bunch of other great actors, Ian Holm and Eamonn Walker."
"It's a really, really beautiful; something that's never been on screen before. It's about an arms dealer. It's about this sale of weapons across the world and the consequences about that. It's part character piece, part social commentary, part political film. It's a really, really cool movie and a very important film in a weird way. I play Nic's brother, Vitali. We're Russian immigrants but we grew up in America. He starts selling weapons and then I get in on it and obsessed about it. We go around the world together selling weapons and I get distracted by other things. Drugs and stuff."

Alexander

"It's not a gay film. It's a film for everybody, but hats off to Oliver. It's very, very brave. He's committed to showing all sides of Alexander. There's no pussyfooting around and walking on eggshells."
"Between Colin and I, there's nothing physical. We hold each other sometimes. If there was [a sex scene], you better believe it would be the best sex scene you ever saw in your life. They could have never done another man-to-man scene after that. It would have been the quintessential f***fest of all time."
"It was the deepest love you can imagine. Alexander and Hephaestion are two people that found someone else who completed them. I think gay men are going to understand the relationship the first time they see us together, whether there is sex or not."
"Not only were they warriors who could go into battle and rip your f***ing head off, they were also educated by Aristotle. They were either scientists, poets, or writers."
"Ultimately, I think it's more important to have people who might be uncomfortable walk out of the movie and go, 'Wow, they really had something special, something unique.' " 
"Alexander takes the world... he might need someone to take him. You never know." 
"Someone just grabbed my buttocks. I guess at the 'Alexander' premiere, with Greek love abounding, that is an acceptable thing to do."
"The situations were always high drama. There was no dull moment. At one point, I went to the producers and I said, 'You know, I am concerned that someone could die,' After every take, there were people with broken legs, ribs, wrists — and these are stunt guys! It is lucky that someone didn't get seriously injured."
"Someone just grabbed my buttocks. I guess at the 'Alexander' premiere, with Greek love abounding, that is an acceptable thing to do."
"The situations were always high drama. There was no dull moment. At one point, I went to the producers and I said, 'You know, I am concerned that someone could die,' " he said. "After every take, there were people with broken legs, ribs, wrists — and these are stunt guys! It is lucky that someone didn't get seriously injured."
"If the movie comes out and is a disaster, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. One of my favorite directors and I think, the one of the most compelling stories every. I was excited about it as soon as I heard Oliver was doing the movie."
"I'm surprised that nobody died on the movie. I really am."
"Hephaestion was a very important person for Alexander's success. Emotionally and in terms of his success around the world as a conqueror. Hephaestion was Alexander's advisor, trusted companion, the person he knew would always tell him the f***ing truth no matter what. You know, when you're at that precarious position when you're leading men through battle, you need those people who you know will tell you the truth no matter what. So, I always understood their relationship simply as built and based on an unquestionable love for each other."
"People thought when I was in this movie, it was for like my band or something. For a f***ing movie, six months. And before that, I knew I had the movie in April and, you know, I grew my hair for a year and a half."
"Oliver encouraged us, smartly so, to not read the histories of Alexander, that was what he was doing. To read what they would have read in their time because a lot of it still exists from Aeschylus to Homer. The Iliad and The Odyssey, Homer was like Deepak Chopra to these guys. And he was what they lived their lives, they modeled their lives after Achilles and Patrocolus, you know. Hephaestion and Alexander. It was a very romantic notion, but that is how I think you get in touch with the spirit is the closest we could."
"Let me tell you something, riding on a horse with a couple hundred cavalry and a 1,000 extras and yelling “Calvary!” or whatever you're going to say is quite an experience whether it's real or not."
"Our characters had children, they were men. They had no pressures sexually, and there was a true love for my character with Colin's, it's a brotherhood and partnership. These guys lived together and died together and loved."
"I look for three things. I look for a great script, a great director and a great part. I would say the movie I just did, Alexander, it definitely falls into that category. Oliver Stone is an amazing writer, director, and I love the character of Hephaistion. So everything kind of clicked. I'm really grateful for that and the opportunity."

Panic Room

"It's the story of three people who break into a house to try to recover some hidden money. We think it's empty and once we get in, we realize there is a woman [Jodie Foster] who has locked herself in the very room we need to get into; the panic room. It's a state-of-the-art, totally barricaded facility made for the sole purpose of keeping people out. I play a complete asshole named Junior. Of course he doesn't think he's an asshole, but we all know he is."
"Junior is the black sheep of a wealthy family. And you know, it's really painful to be born with a lot of money and opportunity - I tell you that realizing that sarcasm doesn't read in print at all. And I'm being really sarcastic."
"I still have the hair because I just did some additional shooting yesterday. Making Panic Room has been a long interesting ride. People on the set yesterday were joking, 'All right! We just got picked up for a second season!' "
"I'm going to shave my head just to make sure there's no f***ing way I can go back on that set. As much as I love working with David, I'm ready for different material."
"I have to wear the same outfit during the entire film, though there are several copies of it. I had black leather gloves, from Barney's, of course, a long corduroy brown trench coat and Prada shoes."
"This guy comes from a really wealthy New York family. He's the black sheep, kind of a jaded Catcher In the Rye wannabe."
"I think that all the subliminal imagery that David put in the film will disturb people. It's very classic, Hitchcockian and suspenseful. It keeps you on the edge of your seat. It's the kind of movie I'd want to see."
"Junior is a little confused. I think his hair says a lot about who he is. He doesn't know who he is or where he fits in."
"I had a chance to get actually lit on fire in film. That was a unique experience."
"I built a panic room at my house. I was inspired and I felt in this day in age I wanted a little extra safety."

Requiem For A Dream

"I don't think [Requiem for a Dream] is for children, but I think if you went home and looked at the video games that your kids are playing, you'd be much more shocked."
"Requiem is an insane f***ing movie. It's a journey into the depths of hell. It spits in your face and expects you to sit there and do nothing about it."
"This film was a good opportunity for me to go out there and to try push myself a little bit." 
"I think Requiem For A Dream is a challenging film. It is a horrifying film. It is provocative. It is shocking. But I think that you walk away with more than a belly full of popcorn and the feeling of being sedated."
"I campaigned for the part. I think Aronofsky's kind of a genius. I loved Pi, and I knew I'd do anything to work with the guy who made it. That's the way I feel about [Fight Club director David] Fincher, too. These guys are two of the top filmmakers working right now. I would do a small part for either of them anytime."
"It was the most miserable and rewarding thing I've ever done. It was an opportunity for me to push myself further and harder than I've ever pushed myself. I basically went and exposed myself to everything that I felt I needed to in order to get to the place I needed to go. I made everybody in the film made huge commitments I just did as much as I could."
"The whole film was very difficult to make, I am really proud of it and my performance. I'm just happy that I got the opportunity to work with this group of people, because everybody was fantastic."
"For me it was a film that I had to take home with me, especially with the weight. And there was the voice that I had that I was just staying with all the time. Which was great, and I was just thrilled that I had the chance to do that, and that's what this type of film is for, to do that and push yourself that far."
"It's definitely a film that you watch it and it eats at you, but making it for those three months, was just really a painful and intense experience."
"Finishing the whole film was really interesting because I was pushing myself so far the whole time and I was just doing so many things physically, emotionally and psychologically. I was putting myself in this really tight grip all the time that when I finally let go I had a lot of guilt. It was hard for me to let go of it. I don't want to sound pretentious, like I couldn't let go of my character."
"It's a f*** you. The film tells you to f*** off countless times."
"It spits in your face and tells you to keep watching. It's a challenging and difficult film that's not for the teen pop world."
"I wanted to understand who this guy was, so I lived on the streets in New York. It was fascinating to get that close to [drug addiction], and it's heartbreaking to see what people go through."
"This movie is unrated because of a sexual problem that they had with it. I don't think this movie is for children, but I think if you went home and looked at the video games that your kids are playing, you'd be much more shocked."
"The film kind of explores four people's obsessions and sometimes it's a positive thing and sometimes it's a negative thing and more often than not it kind of tears peoples lives apart. And I think that everybody can relate to that obsession."
"Every single person out there, they can relate [to this]. If you want to see a film that's not your typical, traditional, melodramatic Hollywood experience that's just the same old-same old, then you should see Requiem because it's different. It's a horrifying, provocative, and challenging film. And I'm really proud of it."
"In Cannes, a woman walked out of the screening and threw up all over the red carpet and she actually loved the movie. In Toronto, a guy walked out after the film, right next to Darren [Aronofsky], me, and the producer, and fainted on the steps. It's pretty fun to have a film that is provocative in that way."
"People have a genuine, kind of oddly personal response to the film. It moves them in such a way [that] it stays with people."
"I felt like I was experiencing a mini-tour through Satan's promised land. It was pretty excruciating and horrifying to shoot a lot of the scenes, and rewarding and satisfying in so many ways that it was completely worth every second. But it was a torturous process."
"The scenes with Jennifer were very difficult. Those were the times in the film we were really at each other's throat. And the disease, this obsession that we have, was eating at our characters. So there were days on the set where I just couldn't even look at her, and I know she felt the same way."
"I'm really proud of the movie, and that's the feeling that I like to get from something, as I think most people do from their work. It's a horrifying, provocative, insane film, and if people want something a little darker and deeper than the average fare out there, this is a film you have to see."
"I lost 25 lbs for the role and I had an accent that I spoke in 24 hours a day. It wasn't like I could go home and get rid of it. I was in a constant state of hunger like my character. I was miserable. It was a painful, dark place, but it was rewarding. I don't know if you've ever fasted, but there were a couple of moments towards the end where I had hallucinations. I'd look up at the sky, and I'd get a feeling of complete serenity."
"I didn't become a junkie to play one. I think drugs is a symptom of the problem. To me the issue is humanity, which has an obsession through the times with escapism. We want to get out of ourselves. That's why we party, we get drunk, we go on roller-coasters, we go on the Internet, we watch TV, we go to movies. This is the antithesis. This film to me is a reaction to the conventional Hollywood crap that we get fed, which sometimes is fun. I enjoy popcorn movies too. I'm not saying I'm never gonna make one, but I think it's important for films like this to be made. I'm happy to be a part of a film that takes a stand, and isn't afraid to spit in your face."
"If you're going far physically and emotionally for a role, and it's really dark and painful, it can take a toll on your personal life. This engulfed me 24 hours a day. I was starving all the time because I was losing weight throughout the film - you couldn't, at the end of the day, just forget about it. You went to bed starving, you woke up starving."
"It was really painful starting to eat again after that. I was filled with a lot of guilt. It can be an addiction to not eat when you make such a strong commitment to that." 
"I was just bawling uncontrollably the last few days of shooting. I'd look at Darren and start crying. But there were moments of such reward."
"I did what I thought I had to do because I wanted to make myself proud and make everybody else proud, though I was miserable to be around. I was talking in this obnoxious accent all the time. Some people got a little scared. I apologized to Jennifer Connelly and I apologize again right now because she's so sweet. We had scenes where Darren was giving us direction in private and well, I just hated her."
"It was great to be at Cannes and see that film for the first time with 1,400 people. I was shitting my pants because people at Cannes will boo and walk out of a film if they don't like it. And there was a standing ovation afterwards that went on and on. That was really moving. It's a nice feeling to be part of a film people respond to. I haven't had that feeling often."
"We were robbed at gunpoint, I saw a girl OD in front of me and end up in a coma... it was horrifying, but I wanted to experience what my character did and saw. It is difficult to look at the truth, but it is an important part of art."
"The MPAA is very moralistic, but their morals are somewhat twisted. I never understood how extreme violence was okay for films, but sex was too taboo. It just proves that hypocrisy in politics is very much alive and well."
"I was drawn to this story not only for the story, but also my character. Harry is an amazing character; he's really strong and it was a challenging and honest role I wanted to do. I am proud of this film and how it effected me, and still does, 24 hours a day. It was like reading a big novel - it was tedious to get through, but at the end you are rewarded by the knowledge you gained and the fact you completed it."
"I was miserable making Requiem and I went off the deep end, but it was 1,000 percent worth it."
"It was a brutal thing to film. Between losing all the weight and all the other things we were focusing on, it was a lot like watching the film--horrifying, shocking, painful, intense. It was a dark, dark, dark time."
"I can't say Requiem was fun, but [it's a role] I'll never forget. It was like your parachute not opening and then those three or four seconds before you hit the ground. That's where we were hovering the whole time we were shooting."
"I was in a constant state of hunger. I started fainting when I was on the set. I had to go to the doctor. My bone marrow dropped 400 points. My liver f***ed up. I was miserable. It was a painful, dark place, but it was rewarding."
"Drugs are part of the urge to escape. Some people work their ass off for the same reason the other people are doing drugs. There are a million things people do. Look at humanity. Our drug, as a world, is progress. We always need to get more, better, faster, bigger."
"Requiem for a Dream is a horrific film. And it spits at you and asks you to sit there, wipe it off and not do anything about it. And enjoy it. I'd rather be in a film that pushes a button and makes you feel something. The other day, a journalist walked out and threw up after she saw it. That makes me smile. I'd rather be in that movie than something that's complacent. Some Hollywood, melodramatic bloated piece of crap."
"I read the script and it was a really fantastic script with a great director involved so I wanted to get involved with the movie."
"It's the type of film I would watch. It's got a unique perspective and a director with a vision. It's challenging, interesting and intelligent."
"I'm really proud of what I've been doing recently, I'm very proud of 'Requiem for a Dream.' We worked really hard on it so I couldn't be happier that people are going to see it."
"My latest film is beyond the Hollywood cinematic experience. It becomes part of your life for a little while."
"'Requiem' is a really deep film and offers a unique experience. It's a journey through Hell. It's like being able to swim in Dante's Inferno."
"Everyone has a different means in escaping reality. In Harry's case, he escapes reality through drug abuse."
"I dived into it headfirst. I did everything I could to understand the behavior. The character stayed with me even after we were done shooting the film."
"I had to get away from the world. I might have gone off the deep end with my research and character analysis, "but I learned so much from the experience."
"I read the script and immediately knew I wanted to be a part of it! It was so realistic."
"While most films are tailored to please, 'Requiem for a Dream' leaves people numb."

Prefontaine

"From the beginning we really set high standards for ourselves. We had the family involved and they really opened their hearts to me and to the filmmakers. I shot to make the family proud. That was my goal and I figured if I did that, everybody else would be just fine."
"It was a great experience because I got to get the kind of experience that the runners go through. It was a really emotional experience, really personal and touching. There were a lot of tears, but it was great because we were doing something right. If it was striking a chord like that, we were doing something right. So that was nice, but it was sad at the same time. And it was nice to have the family involved. I felt really happy about that."
"The thing that's exciting for me is the creative process and exploring different sides of myself. I just became a runner. I was in the best shape I've ever been in my life. I learned about this guy and had this great emotional experience with his family and this director and made new friends. I love the whole experience."
"It was a fantastic role for me, and I was glad just to get into it. I'm a big fan of Steve Prefontaine, and I've learned so much about him."
"I put my heart and soul into that movie. I wish more people had seen it but it was still a very rewarding experience for me. I got to meet Steve's family."
"Pre was my first major part and I was pretty much operating under the assumption that I was going after the Olympics. I was gung-ho and trying to do everything I could to be this guy. Plus, Prefontaine's family was around often, so it was a moving experience."

Summer Fling

"I was waiting to find a role I was excited about, and along came Frankie, this Irish kid who's kind of a loser. He spends a lot of time in his head. The great thing is, Frankie goes through this big transformation. He starts to learn lessons about his life and his family."

My So-Called Life

"Jordan's a man of many thoughts and few words, everything that Jordan does is a front. A lot of things that we do are."
"It takes a lot of imagination to understand the things Jordan does, but I don't know a 17-year-old who has relationships down to a T."
"I still dislike what I did on MSCL. But I've got to say I'm rarely happy with my work."
"I didn't do much on that show. I was in 17 out of the 19 episodes. I don't feel like I was ever in it enough to be stuck in it. I'd already broken out of that."
"My part was very small on My So-Called Life, but the show got a lot of attention."
"You want realism watch "The Real World." You want truth... watch "My So-Called Life."
"I had no idea how 'My So-Called Life' would be perceived by audiences, not along me and my character."
"It was a nice place to start. No thanks to me, I sucked in that show. I was terrible!"

Unsourced

• You know you're really famous when there's rumors about you being gay.
• It's not like I'm hanging out at shopping malls or going to celebrity golf tournaments. I'm so in my own little world. I got my dog, my music, my brother, a couple of friends.
• All those reports that I sleep in my closet. I don't know how people get that. People are so obsessed with what you do at home.
• I could care less about anybody knowing who I am, but I realize this is part of the game. Maybe if I really hated this whole public thing, I would go do plays in Hoboken.
• If I was ever a teen idol, I'd kill myself.
• Steal music from Napster while you have the chance. Find free porn on the internet. Sneak across the border into Mexico just for the irony. How come every one on the Internet is "hot"? Tell your parents the truth. Start your own army. Adopt a dog. Tell your children the truth. Stop complaining and go out and do something about it. Jump out of a fucking plane. Stop reading this crap right now. Don't listen to me. I don't have any answers and I stole the questions from someone else. Read a good book. Don't beat yourself up. Question authority but don't forget to do what your told. Turn off your computer right now and go outside and let people into your life.
• No, I don’t wear contacts, and contrary to what some people have said, I do not have a glass eye.
• You can be anyone you want, but you must be real!
• Dream as big as you want to; it's the cheapest thing you'll ever do.
• Dreams + Hard Work = Reality.
• Sleep deep... Wake up tomorrow and live your fucking dreams no matter what.
• It's nice because I think a lot of people would rather stay home and play a video game these days then go to a rock show.
• There are some people who might look better if you smacked them in the head with a baseball bat.
• High school is a dark place; I hung out with 'freaks.'
• I take computers practically apart and put them back together. I have a supercomputer I built over the years out of different computers.