Jared Leto denies that he ever gave Margot Robbie a dead rat on the set of Suicide Squad. David Ayer's DC villain movie introduced Killer Croc, Dead Shot, Harley Quinn, Katana, El Diablo, Captain Boomerang, Slipnot, and the Joker to the DCEU. Actors like Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger had been praised for playing the Joker, but audiences were less than thrilled with Leto's version. In fact, when the first look at Leto's Joker came out in 2015, the design was immediately criticized for giving the character grillz and several tattoos.
Even though Leto's Joker is often considered the worst of the live-action versions, Leto himself has proven himself as a diverse and dedicated actor. Leto is known for really throwing himself into his characters, with many calling him a method actor after his physical transformation in Dallas Buyers Club. His approach to Suicide Squad seemed to be no different, with stories of the actor's crazy hijinks on set. Reports came out that Leto gave his Suicide Squad co-stars several odd gifts, some of which included a dead hog, pornographic magazines, bullets, and used condoms. There was also a story floating around that Leto gave Robbie a live (or dead depending on who tells the story) rat, but Leto has now set the record straight.
According to Leto in an interview with GQ, he never gave Robbie a dead rat while they were making Suicide Squad. He actually gave her something much more pleasant: cinnamon buns. Leto's full comment can be read below:
“It’s also interesting how this stuff all takes on a life of its own. But I never gave Margot Robbie a dead rat, that’s just 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.”
Robbie tries to maintain a vegan lifestyle, so had she actually been given a dead animal on the set of Suicide Squad, it likely would have caused an issue. It's possible that all of those reports were fabricated to generate buzz about Suicide Squad back in 2016. After all, news of Leto sending Will Smith used condoms and anal beads certainly got people's attention. Leto didn't mention any of the other "gifts" he supposedly left his co-stars, however, so there's no way of knowing what really happened behind the scenes.
Leto clearly put a lot of effort into getting into character for the Joker. Unfortunately, his role in the final cut of Suicide Squad was significantly reduced from what Ayer originally had in mind. Leto ended up having a very small part in Suicide Squad. If he had appeared in more scenes as Ayer intended, his version of the character would have been much more developed. The actor will get a chance to redeem his character soon, with Zack Snyder including the Knightmare version of the Joker in his Justice League Snyder Cut. Leto may be reprising his role in the Snyder Cut, but it's unknown if the Suicide Squad Ayer Cut will ever see the light of day.
Source: GQ
