JARED LETO ON TRANS ROLE

American actor and singer Jared Leto has spoken about the challenges of his role as a transgender woman in the upcoming film Dallas Buyers Club.

The movie tells the true story of electrician Ron Woodroof (played by Matthew McConaughey) who takes on the medical establishment after he’s diagnosed with HIV  in 1986.

In an interview with talk show host Conan O’Brien, the 41-year-old Leto said that transforming into the character of Rayon, a transgender HIV positive drug addict, “was intense”.

“I mean I lost between 30 and 40 pounds, was wearing high heels every day and as you can see, tons of other things as well. I waxed my entire body. My eyebrows included. But it was kind of nice.

“It was a period piece so I didn’t have to do Brazilian, you know?” he joked.

Leto went on to say: “I mean it’s interesting, funny as I look around the set and see some of the guys working here. It was always like the biggest, toughest guy who was the first to offer his hand to me.”

“Like they opened doors to you?” asked O’Brien, to which Leto responded, “Or asked me to dinner. Stuff like that”.

In recent years Leto has moved away from acting and has focused primarily on his music career as the lead singer of the band Thirty Seconds to Mars.

Dallas Buyers Club does not yet have a release date in South Africa.