Jared Leto Worked Blind While Shooting Blade Runner 2049

Jared Leto was back at his method acting on the set of Blade Runner 2049, shooting the entire movie as though he actually could not see, a new People feature reveals.

The 45-year-old actor, who made headlines in 2016 for his in-character antics as the Joker during the production of Suicide Squad, wore custom-made contact lenses to obscure his vision while playing the role of Niander Wallace, a blind inventor who creates a new generation of Replicants in the Blade Runner sequel. 

According to People, Leto wore the opaque lenses for the entire duration of the shoot both on and off the set, being guided around locations while shooting the movie and never looking at his fellow cast members.

"That, for me, was insane," remarked Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villeneuve, who said he was unprepared for how seriously Leto took the whole method acting thing, despite having heard all of the stories about it. 

Villeneuve said that the dedication paid off in the work, describing an early camera test for Leto's character that the actor arrived at playing blind. "He entered the room, and he could not see at all," Villeneuve said. "He was walking with an assistant, very slowly. It was like seeing Jesus walking into a temple. Everybody became super silent, and there was a kind of sacred moment. Everyone was in awe. It was so beautiful and powerful — I was moved to tears."

Despite the extreme lengths of Leto's vision restriction, the actor contended that he "didn't dive as deep down the rabbit hole as maybe I've done before" in performing the role of Wallace. 

Audiences will get a chance to see for themselves when Blade Runner 2049 hits theaters on October 6. To get a better look at Leto's character in the movie, check out this short film that sets up the sequel's story.