Jared Leto Bares His Abs as The Joker for 'Empire Magazine'

Jared Leto poses for a full length shot as Suicide Squad‘s The Joker on the cover of Empire magazine‘s new issue.

The 43-year-old actor opens up about playing the iconic role for the first time in the issue. Here is what he had to share:

On getting himself into character: “There was definitely a period of…detachment. I took a pretty deep dive. But this was a unique opportunity and I couldn’t imagine doing it another way. It was fun, playing those psychological games. But at the same time it was very painful, like giving birth out of my prick hole.”

On his Joker being different: “I always get the sense that The Joker may be much older than people think. It’s something different. If you don’t break rules, you’re not going to strike new ground. I think I’ll be cooling down for the rest of my life.”

Director David Ayer on the new portrayal: “The Joker is the third rail of comic book movies. There’s a power to that character, and by some freaking miracle, through the incredible things Jared has done and the photography and all the other millions of things that went into it, we’ve cooked up something transcendent. He’s scary.”

For more from Jared, visit EmpireOnline.com and pick up your issue!