The main actor from “Mr. Nobody”, an awarded film at Venice Film Festival for its scenography , Jared Leto interprets the role of Nemo Nobody, a man who’s life takes off in three different directions after he refuses in his childhood to take a hard decision. A slalom through different time periods (one part of the movie takes place in 2092) and through different possible lives, Mr. Nobody is one of the most captivating films that were presented this year at the festival from the lagoon and it would have deserved a more important trophy than the award for scenography. Directed by the Belgian Jaco van Dormael, Mr. Nobody casts Leto, Diane Kruger and Sarah Polley and will be released in Romania on the 28th of May 2010.
Shortly, Mr. Nobody is about Nemo, a seven year old boy who realizes he is confronted with the most difficult decision of his life. He is on the platform of a train station and has to choose between remaining with his father and getting on the train with his mother. The choice will change his life from its foundations and the perspective is so frightening that the kid refuses to make it. At his old age, in 2092, when he is the only mortal human being after the technological advances assure eternal life for the entire society, Nemo Nobody reviews the three lives that he could have had.
читать дальшеMaybe you haven’t seen Jared Leto in the TV-Show “My So-Called Life”, where he played along with Claire Danes, but you surely remember him from the powerful “Requiem for a Dream”, Darren Aronofsky’s second feature film. After this critically-acclaimed success, Leto was to be seen in Alexander, Panic Room, Lord of War and, last but not least, Chapter 27, for the role of John Lennon’s killer, Mark David Chapman, for which he had to gain no less than 30 kilograms.
Returning to his normal weight, the slender actor and vocalist of the band 30 Seconds To Mars talked to Cinemagia for 20 minutes about his new movie, Mr. Nobody.
Q: Explain to us, are you an actor who also sings or a singer who also plays from time to time in movies?
A:I’m an unemployed actor who accepts from time to time roles in the most bizarre films in the history of cinema… (Laughs)
Q:How was it to act in this film, you’re many different versions of the same character. Have you dealt with every single version on its own or did you juggle with them?
A:No, I juggled with them, Jaco (Van Dormael, the director) likes to torture us, the actors. It was very interesting, confusing, and simply unique. This film is like a surrealistic painting; it’s not traditionally realized at all. I haven’t seen it yet, but I can assure you that it is unconventional. I was truly lucky to be part of such a project because believe me, such movies aren’t being made these days anymore. Today the genres are more and more limited and the money come from people who want to go for what’s secure, which is where an avalanche of this type of films or very, very commercial films came from. Nowadays, fewer and fewer movies that take risks are made, like Mr. Nobody. It doesn’t even matter whether it will be a success or not, just the fact that it has already taken a risk represents a gain.
Q
o you see your part as the same character in different circumstances?
A: The character is the same until the age of seven, after which he divides. His mature versions couldn’t have been very different; they couldn’t have had, for example, one hazel eyes, the other blue eyes, because the source is the same. Anyway, at the age of seven the circumstances change a lot, so we had to juggle with this in order to create distance between the three different versions. From the age of seven on the character makes different choices, and that changes him. It’s interesting to see how desperate Nemo becomes in front of some difficult choices. The choices have a substantial effect on your environment; they change you from all perspectives.
Q:How was it to play Nemo at old age?
A:No, that wasn’t me… (the answer is surprising, because all the director’s, Jaco van Dormael, statements praised Leto’s commitment for putting on make-up for six hours daily in order to interpret the old version of the central character ).
(Laughs) Actually it was me, I was just jocking…
Q:Jaco says that the more different the role is from you, the one in real life, the better an actor you are…
A:Well yes, who wants to interpret himself? The bigger the challenge is, the more important the reward is, in my opinion. I haven’t formed a custom, at least up until now, from playing not very different versions of myself on the screen, as others do and who are very good at it. Like Cary Grant, for example. You go to the cinema to see Cary Grant as Cary Grant, you don’t want to see him as the elephant-man!
Qo you have a strong vision about yourself or does it happen to have confusing periods of time, when you feel the need to go back on your personal history’s line and find yourself?
A:It is kind of a personal question…Yes, I do have a strong vision about myself, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t ask myself questions. Each of us takes a journey and every journey has its difficult moments too. But regarding the acting, I prefer to revolve around what is called “composition roles”, roles that are very different from me. That’s what I like and that’s what I’m interested in doing.
Qo you find it scary to play yourself on the screen?
A:Sometimes yes, you feel empty in front of the camera. I have never played a guy with a denim shirt, with a stupid symbol tattooed on his wrist…
Q:the way, what does your tattoo mean?
A:I could tell you but then I’d have to kill you…(Laughs). Coming back to acting, it almost didn’t happen to me to play a close version of myself, the one I am now. I appreciate a lot actors like Sean Penn or Daniel Day-Lewis, who change along with every single role, who rediscover themselves with each new project. What can I do, the less conventional parts are the ones that appeal to me…(Laughs).
Qo you read philosophy or spiritual books? Are you passionate about this domain?
A:Yes, I am passionate about the universal law, for example, but books are a wonderful source of inspiration. When you read a book like “Atlas Shrugged” you get the impression that your brain expands, like I was training my mind, and this training had positive effects on my work, no matter what kind of work it was. Mr. Nobody is a very provocative and philosophical film; it makes you think about your life and what happens when you make a choice: how your life changes from the moment you made the choice is shocking. That’s why the period when I was shooting was a very introspective period for me, I asked myself a lot of questions, but most of the time there are more questions than answers. There’s no way you don’t think about the impact of your choices. I read somewhere that luck is a residue of fate. I believe in some kind of divine providence, but in the same time I am convinced that we are the guardians of our own fate. I don’t know wheather Jaco would agree with me in this respect.
Quring the shootings, did you have many philosophical discussions with Jaco?
A:We had a big problem: he speaks French, I speak English.
Q: It's quite hard like this, right?
A: Juste un petit peu.. (laughs) I learned very quick that if he said 'transpiration'(french word for sweat spelled in english)
it actually meant "sweat". "Put your hand on the coffin" meant "put your hand on the cushion" and so on ..(laughs), it was really weird...
Q: What kind of director is Jaco?
A: I consider him the Terrence Malick of Europe. I was very lucky to work with him because, as i said before, this type of movies aren't made anymore. This type of movies can only be made in Europe
and they are becoming more and more rare. Anyway not so provocative, unconventional, unique! It's a very personal movie for Jaco. The only thing I complain about is the interpretation of old Nemo because I was very stubborn to
play old Nemo. But Mr. Nobody is Jaco, every word, every breath.
Q: The filming period was very long, almost 6 months. How was it during such a long period of time?
A: It was exhausting! It was like hell! No, it was wonderful! (laughs) I love to film in Europe. Here things are different than in America. The crews are real famillies. Most people from Mr. Nobody have worked with Jaco at his previous movies, some of them met at Toto le Heros, for example, they formed a family and they came with their teenage kids at filming. It's a really familial atmosphere.
Jaco is very kind, very specific in what he wants from you as an actor. I really wanted to make him happy, to give him everything he needed for the movie to come out good.
Q: Old Nemo's voice was yours or was it digitally processed ?
A: No, it wasn't me ..(laughs) Yes, it was me.. It was my voice, it wasn't digitally processed. I got that voice by screaming for hours every night and the next day my voice was so hoarse that is was perfect for old Nemo.
Q: would you do that again?
A: I don't think so; it's very painful and very stupid, taking into consideration that i also sing. My voice probably changed forever because of this.
Q: Now you'll probably sing like Joe Cocker...
A: Yeah .. (laughs)
Q: With all that makeup, did you look like someone from your family?
A: I was looking like my grandfather. The makeup crew did a really good job. As an actor it's risky to make decisions like that. If the makeup isn't good and the agged actor isn't credible, the movie risks coming to nothing.
It has happened before! It's really weird to feel so old being young. So much makeup, so many prothesis, not a single CGI pixel, everything was very real. Contact lenses, arms, ears, skin, teeth, the makeup session lasted 6 hours daily..
it was awful..
Q: You haven't played in many movies, but the roles were very different..
A: I have the feeling that i'm at the beginning. I have been cursed to feel like it's not enough no matter what i do or succeed. And when i finish something, i finish it for good, there's no turning back.
Q: But haven't you felt like you went too far? For example, for Chapter 27 you gained 62 pounds. Didn't you think that the sacrifice was too big?
A: Yes, I did. Sometimes i think i'm an idiot. I still have health problems because of that role, back problems, for example.
Q: The voice now, the pounds then... it's a dangerous job..
A: No, they're just stupid decisions. You know, sometimes i think that if i were a better actor, i wouldn't have had to go through all this. ..(laughs)
Q: Why didn't you use your looks to become Hollywood's new heartthrob?
A: What are you trying to say? That i look good?
Q: Yes!
A: The thing is that in general i want to be in movies that will make me go and watch it. Maybe i'll come back to Hollywood and do a romantic-comedy. You can never know! Recently, i was talking about how it would be to do a mega-movie at Hollywood, a movie with a super-studio. For me it would be just like Requiem for a Dream would have been for somebody else, a true experience.
It's like i would disguise myself. It would be weird, even pervers, but, why not, funny. A romantic-comedy.. Or to pull out my gun and run after the bad guys..
Q: I suppose that the financial aspect is not very important to you..
A: I have never worked for money. If i wanted money, i would have become a broker or i would have made a hit in the IT field.
Q: Do you think Nemo Nobody lives a dream or a nightmare?
A: I don't know. It depends on how you see things. We have the tendecy of forgetting that everything happens from the point a view of the 7year old child who refuses to make a decision. It's a surrealist fantasy. It's about our decisions or about the imposibility, the refusal of making them.
Little Nemo at the station: leaving with mum, staying with dad? This is how it begins..
a big thank you to a girl from myspace