In recent years, Jared Leto has gained quite a reputation for himself after playing pranks on his castmates. Play as the Joker in Suicide squad for example. While working on the film directed by David Ayer, Leto reportedly became a full-method actor by sending his castmates outrageous gifts – a live mouse and, oh yes, a dead pig. Needless to say, Leto’s not-so-secret Santa Claus feat was not well received by the parties involved, so it does not come as a surprise to me that he forgot to do any of this nonsense while working alongside Denzel Washington and Rami Malek in John Lee Hancock’s set THE LITTLE THINGS.
“He didn’t do any of that to me,” Washington recently told USA Today about Leto’s “good boy” behavior while filming Hancock’s thriller centered on the serial killer. “Nah. He would have been visited. That would not have happened.” Haha! I love the part where Washington says “He would have received a visitor.” He sounds like a nail-tough mobster who would rather have Leto sleep with the fish than allow him to pull a quick one on the set. Classic.
Although Washington was certainly keeping an eye on Leto during production, he liked the chance to work alongside him and Malek.
“There is a whole harvest of these younger actors, and it is fascinating to see them coming after me,” says Washington. “Unfortunately, we lost one to Chad Boseman (who died of colon cancer last year). But Jared is one, obviously, and Rami is doing a great job. It’s inspiring and as an alert. It’s like, I have to answer my act together here. These guys are not playing. “
As Washington says, there was a little tension between him and Leto during the shoot The little things. While capturing their first scene together, the two actors stayed a good distance from each other, choosing to exchange a polite nod instead of words.
“I stayed away from him. He stayed away from me, respectfully,” reminds Washington. “We would bow or nod at the other side of the highway. Literally, one day we would wave at each other on the highway.”
Ah, but there is more to this story. Are you ready for this? Washington admits to spying on Leto during production. “I followed him around. I was out of his apartment at times and he didn’t know,” says Washington. “I won’t say anything more about it. I’ll put it this way, he didn’t know.” Oh, wow, I honestly don’t know how to digest that last part. I’m not sure if this is somehow a dose of his own medicine for Leto or completely wrong. Anyway, the thought of Washington standing outside my house, watching my movements, sends a chill down my spine.
The film’s director, John Lee Hancock, also spoke with USA Today and told them about an intense interrogation scene shared between Joe Deacon of Washington, Albert Sparma of Leto and Jim Baxter of Malek. Describing creative energy as a kind of powder keg ready to explode, he remembers Washington’s exaggeration factor before he came on the scene.
“Afterwards, Denzel said to me, ‘Man, they are playing on the floor. I can’t wait to get into that room.'” says Hancock. “He said to me, ‘I feel like the old heavyweight and I am watching two young men fighting in the ring.’ “
The little things is now showing in select cinemas and is available on HBO Max, where available. If you’re a subscriber to the service, you might want to check it out and see if you can identify the intense chemistry shared among the main cast of the film.