BOLDFACE NAMES

One Day That Girl Will Write This Column

by Joyce Wadler

The New York Times, November 24, 2004

Much has been made of the love scenes in “ALEXANDER.” We at Boldface Names, however, pride ourselves on being rather more sophisticated than our colleagues in the gossip-mongering press.

So when we had our shot at talking with JARED LETO, who plays one of Alexander’s sweetie pies in OLIVER STONE’s new movie, our questions went directly to Art.
    
What were the challenges of the role, we asked Mr. Leto at the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s special screening on Monday night.

Oh, that our idol, JAMES LIPTON, could have been there to hear us discussing Craft.

“It was a big education that I kind of had to put myself through,” Mr. Leto said. “Psychologically, philosophically. Oliver encouraged us to read the works of the great philosophers, the playwrights - AESCHYLUS, HOMER, ARISTOTLE. Things that these men would have read and been familiar with. There was a definite huge physical commitment as well. Every film is different in its challenges, and this was one that you knew you couldn’t just show up on the set… .”

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

How did he feel about the boundary-crossing sexual stuff with his co-star, COLIN FARRELL?

“I felt fine. I always understood the role was about love, and that’s it.”

Did he prefer Mr. Farrell as a blond or a brunet?

“I liked him shaved,” Mr. Leto said.

Heavens, this sophisticated banter is tiring. MR. SEGUE MAN, fetch us a dirty martini and we’ll rattle off the names of the other stars in front of the Walter Reade Theater: ANGELINA JOLIE, ROSARIO DAWSON.

Actually, it was a little wild out there. Fans pressed against the metal barricades on one side, reporters on the other. But the pathway was not blocked off from pedestrians, so every now and then a harried Juilliard student or post-rehearsal ballerina wandered into a shot.

When this happened while Mr. Leto was doing an interview with E!, he tried to play off it by grabbing the student, putting an arm around her, and introducing her as a friend. When he instructed her to tell the E! audience her name, she stared blankly at the camera and bolted in terror.

It was Mr. Leto, not Mr. Farrell, however, who provided much of the entertainment at the event.

When we overheard Mr. Leto telling a CNN reporter that he didn’t watch the news, we rolled our eyes. He caught us - no hard feelings - and rolled his eyes right back at us.

Not that Mr. Farrell seemed all that restrained. Told that Mr. Leto said he preferred Mr. Farrell clean-shaven, we asked how Mr. Farrell preferred Mr. Leto.

“He preferred me clean-shaven?” Mr. Farrell asked. “Did he tell you what part of my body?”

Mr. Farrell winked and moved on.

(Quelle: The New York Times)