Jared Leto denies giving Margot Robbie a dead rat while filming Suicide Squad

Jared Leto and Margot Robbie in Suicide Squad
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Jared Leto has denied giving Margot Robbie a dead rat while filming Suicide Squad.

Leto played the Joker in the film, with Robbie starring as Harley Quinn. Much has been made of Leto's method style of acting, and the strange gifts he reportedly gave his co-stars: Viola Davis told Vanity Fair back in 2016 that Robbie received a live black rat from Leto.

Speaking to GQ, Leto said: "It's also interesting how this stuff all takes on a life of its own. I never gave Margot Robbie a dead rat. That's just, that's not true. I actually gave her a lot of – I found this place in Toronto that had great vegan cinnamon buns, and that was a very common thing."

A vegan cinnamon bun sounds a lot nicer than a rat, so we're glad to hear that Robbie actually got some tasty snacks, rather than a rodent – living or dead.

As for playing the Joker, Leto commented: "It's an incredible opportunity. I guess it's this generation's version of taking on an infamous Shakespearean character. Lots of people played the part before, lots of people [will play] it in the future, so it's an opportunity to do something new and to explore challenging territory."

The actor also talked about featuring in a blockbuster on the scale of Suicide Squad. "There's a lot of pressure when you are a part of those big movies. Just forget the character for a second, when you're a part of these giant movies, they inherently come with even maybe more responsibility, it feels like," Leto commented. "Maybe it shouldn't… I've done mostly smaller movies… So that was like a step into a whole new world. But it was a lot of fun."

Leto is reprising his role as the Joker for Zack Snyder's Justice League, which is set for release this March 18, 2021. Until then, check out how to watch DC movies in order for a catch-up movie marathon.

Molly Edwards
Entertainment Writer

I'm an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.