First impressions
It's funny how things sometimes have a way of coming together again and forming a bigger, cohesive picture the second or third time around. I had seen pictures of Jared Leto before, namely in an icon set for a particular RP journal, but he looked like a scruffily bearded, down-on-his-luck hobo in all of the pictures. It was a good fit, though, because the character was supposed to be at the end of his rope; but it didn't give me the greatest first impression of Jared's face, what with associating him with this character who had such a sad story to his life.
Somehow, at the same time, I managed to separately like the 30STM song "Kings and Queens" without even putting two and two together and realizing that Jared was the person I was listening to every time I played the song. I'm not not quite sure how I was able to pull off the whole disassociation factor there, but I did for the better part of an entire year. Then in December, I decided, rather out of the blue, to start Googling pictures of him, and I was amazed to see just how many completely different looks the man could pull off. He had long hair, short hair, spiky hair, some sort of mullet-y hairdo, and even a pink mohawk. He could look like the fresh-faced boy next door, or he could be sporting enough eyeliner to make me wonder if he and Adam Lambert were sharing makeup tips and maybe eyeliner pencils too. The one picture that really stuck out to me, however, was one where where he was wearing some sort of B.C. (or B.C.E.) style armor and looked bedraggled and weary and yet attentive as well.
"Jared Leto as Hephaistion in Alexander," the caption read, and I was surprised by the fact that the singer was apparently an actor as well. Of course, a little research quickly showed me that (1) Jared started acting first and that 30STM came along later, and (2) that he was 40 years old. Wow. Surprise again. I figured he was maybe early to mid-30s. All I can say is that he ages nicely. Very, very nicely.
Anyways, I discovered next that the Alexander movie he was in was the one that supposedly all the critics thought was terrible and nobody liked it, etcetera, etcetera. I remember hearing nothing but bad things about it when it came out years ago; but, seeing as I had nothing better to do over the end of my Christmas break from college, I decided to buy the movie and watch it, if only to see Jared's acting chops.
I got the movie in the mail on December 28th and either watched it that evening or the next, I forget. Honestly, I wasn't feeling completely enamored with it by the time that the credits rolled, namely because it was so freaking long - though I had only myself to blame for getting the much lengthier Alexander Revisited version - and because I wasn't expecting to see such a human portrayal of Alexander that showed him flaws and all. But the depth of the friendship and love between him and Hephaistion, however, that was what made the movie all worthwhile to me, emotional sap that I am. For lack of a more eloquent way to describe it, their relationship is just ... beautiful.
And although I wasn't at all a Colin Farrell fan going into the movie, I've actually grown to appreciate him and his portrayal of Alexander more and more. I'm sure that goes a long way in explaining why I am currently reading Robin Lane Fox's Alexander the Great book when I should be doing homework instead.
Oh, yes, and I am quite smitten with Jared Leto now. Go figure. ♥ ♥ ♥
Somehow, at the same time, I managed to separately like the 30STM song "Kings and Queens" without even putting two and two together and realizing that Jared was the person I was listening to every time I played the song. I'm not not quite sure how I was able to pull off the whole disassociation factor there, but I did for the better part of an entire year. Then in December, I decided, rather out of the blue, to start Googling pictures of him, and I was amazed to see just how many completely different looks the man could pull off. He had long hair, short hair, spiky hair, some sort of mullet-y hairdo, and even a pink mohawk. He could look like the fresh-faced boy next door, or he could be sporting enough eyeliner to make me wonder if he and Adam Lambert were sharing makeup tips and maybe eyeliner pencils too. The one picture that really stuck out to me, however, was one where where he was wearing some sort of B.C. (or B.C.E.) style armor and looked bedraggled and weary and yet attentive as well.
"Jared Leto as Hephaistion in Alexander," the caption read, and I was surprised by the fact that the singer was apparently an actor as well. Of course, a little research quickly showed me that (1) Jared started acting first and that 30STM came along later, and (2) that he was 40 years old. Wow. Surprise again. I figured he was maybe early to mid-30s. All I can say is that he ages nicely. Very, very nicely.
Anyways, I discovered next that the Alexander movie he was in was the one that supposedly all the critics thought was terrible and nobody liked it, etcetera, etcetera. I remember hearing nothing but bad things about it when it came out years ago; but, seeing as I had nothing better to do over the end of my Christmas break from college, I decided to buy the movie and watch it, if only to see Jared's acting chops.
I got the movie in the mail on December 28th and either watched it that evening or the next, I forget. Honestly, I wasn't feeling completely enamored with it by the time that the credits rolled, namely because it was so freaking long - though I had only myself to blame for getting the much lengthier Alexander Revisited version - and because I wasn't expecting to see such a human portrayal of Alexander that showed him flaws and all. But the depth of the friendship and love between him and Hephaistion, however, that was what made the movie all worthwhile to me, emotional sap that I am. For lack of a more eloquent way to describe it, their relationship is just ... beautiful.
And although I wasn't at all a Colin Farrell fan going into the movie, I've actually grown to appreciate him and his portrayal of Alexander more and more. I'm sure that goes a long way in explaining why I am currently reading Robin Lane Fox's Alexander the Great book when I should be doing homework instead.
Oh, yes, and I am quite smitten with Jared Leto now. Go figure. ♥ ♥ ♥