After a five-year break from movies, Jared Leto lost 40 pounds in order to play a transsexual character with AIDS in Dallas Buyers Club.

"I stopped eating,” Leto told The Wrap. "It was 30 or 40 pounds. After a while I stopped counting."

Now weighing in at a measly 114 pounds, his entire lifestyle has changed. "It changes the way you walk, the way you sit, the way you think," he said.

The film centers around Ron Woodruff (Matthew McConaughey), an electrician who has HIV and a doctor (Jennifer Garner) who struggles with helping AIDS patients against the rules of her medical establishment. Leto plays the role of Rayon, a transsexual woman and Woodruff's friend.

The Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman tied dieting before. According to the Huffington Post, he said, "Your body goes through weird stages. Sometimes it's hard to hold on to water. But for me, it's not about the most weight I can lose, it's more to represent the character. I'm focused on what it means to be a transsexual woman."

Leto and McConaughey, who also lost weight for his role, are predicted to be up for awards for their performances.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons