Why Did Jared Leto Climb the Empire State Building?

If you happened to be walking along 34th Street in Manhattan this morning, you may have seen a man wearing a red jumpsuit scaling the Empire State Building. While normally this would be cause for alarm, in this case, there was no need to worry. It was simply Academy Award winner Jared Leto crossing an item off of his bucket list.

Though he’s been known for engaging in some questionable Method acting techniques when getting into character, Leto was not preparing to play King Kong. Rather, the Morbius star climbed the landmark to promote the upcoming world tour of his band, 30 Seconds to Mars, which will run from March to September in 2024. 

Leto also didn’t scale the entire Empire State Building. He began his climb on floor 86 and proceeded up the east side of the building until he reached floor 104. The endeavor took about 20 minutes, and culminated when Leto climbed all three tiers of the building’s ice shield. He completed his ascent at the base of the building’s famous illuminated antenna.

In an exclusive interview on Today, the Suicide Squad star shared what it was like to climb one of the world’s most recognizable landmarks. “I was more excited than nervous, to tell you the truth,” said Leto. “But I have to be honest, it was very, very hard. It was very hard. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Just the endurance that it took, the stamina that it took, and it was very sharp.” He proved that the climb was more arduous than expected by showing his bloody left hand, which he sliced open during the climb. 

“It’s incredible to watch the sun rise overlooking the city that’s meant so much to me,” the actor continued. “Ever since I was a kid, New York stood for the place that you went to make your dreams come true. And as a young kid, I wanted to be an artist, and New York was the place that you came to be an artist. And the Empire State Building was always that symbol for me.”