INQUISITR.COM / Entertainment

Jared Leto’s Hair The First Casualty Of ‘Suicide Squad’

By Shelley Hazen
Published on: 01:55 PST, Mar 3, 2015

Jared Leto’s long, luscious hair is about as famous as he is. And now that it’s gone – Leto chopped it all off to play the Joker in Suicide Squad – people are practically calling for a national day of mourning.

The sad announcement of Leto’s lost locks came on Twitter, when Suicide Squad Director David Ayer posted a picture of Leto’s ponytail posed between a pair of scissors. Despite a chorus of calls not to rid the world of his ombre hair, Ayer went through with it, E! Online reported.

Later, a dramatic black and white of Leto with short hair appeared, and the world wept as one.

Vanity Fair waxed poetic about Jared Leto’s hair, praising its versatility and beauty. His most recent long locks entered the world in 2012, and since then he’s worn it well.

“(Leto) experimented with a number of styles and highlight colors, always managing to make his hair look on point, whether it was swept underneath a jaunty bohemian scarf, over a white dinner jacket, or atop a knee-length fur cape.”

Leto’s hair isn’t the only thing that will change as the actor transforms into the Joker for Suicide Squad. He told Billboard recently that he also plans to pack on the pounds.

“I’m trying to gain a lot of weight. It means I have to eat every couple of hours — and I’m terrible at eating a lot.”

The hair tragedy aside, Leto has dramatically changed his appearance for films before – Suicide Squad certainly isn’t the first. He lost 40 pounds for Dallas Buyer’s Club and an untold amount for the film Requiem for a Dream. He’s also gone in the other direction and beefed up for Chapter 27, added E! Online.

So what is the film that has forced Jared Leto fans to prematurely part ways with his hair? It’s another installment in the DC film universe, and will feature an ensemble cast that includes Jai Courtney (Captain Boomerang), Cara Delevingne (Enchantress), Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn), and Will Smith (Deadshot).

For the uninitiated, the Suicide Squad features supervillians who carry out dangerous missions for the government in order to commute their prison sentences. Leto is excited to take on his role on the antihero team and has to fill the mighty big shoes of notable past Jokers – including Heath Ledger and Jack Nicholson. He told Billboard as much in its February issue.

“The opportunity to take on this nearly Shakespearean character — that’s what graphic novels and comic books are becoming, right? (He’s} this beautiful disaster of a character — what a big challenge.”

Hopefully, cutting off his hair was worth it. For now, we’ll have to trust Jared Leto’s process.

[Photo Courtesy Kevin Winter/Getty Images]

Share this article: Jared Leto’s Hair The First Casualty Of ‘Suicide Squad’
Movies Jared Leto Suicide Squad
More from Inquisitr