Jared Leto Hired Team of Five Israelis to Rehearse Lines for Series on WeWork Co-Founder Adam Neumann

Shiryn Ghermezian

Jared Leto in the limited series “WeCrashed,” premiering globally March 18, 2022 on Apple TV+. Photo: AppleTV+

Actor Jared Leto recently shared details with Variety magazine about how he prepared for the lead role of Israeli WeWork co-founder Adam Neumann in the new limited television series “WeCrashed.”

In the show — his first starring role in a TV series since “My So-Called Life” — Leto, 50, plays the Israeli businessman who co-created the shared office space company, while actress Anne Hathaway stars as Neumann’s wife and muse, Rebekah. The eight-episode series will debut on Apple TV+ on Friday.

Leto, who is not Jewish, told Variety that he had a surprisingly hard time playing Neumann. The 30 Seconds to Mars frontman said that in order to get ready for the role, he took part in Shabbat dinners and hired a team of five Israelis to rehearse lines with so he could “hear that voice all the time.”

“A couple of times, strangely towards the end of shooting ‘WeCrashed,’ Paolo’s [accent] started to come out a little bit,” Leto added, referring to his recent role in Ridley Scott’s “House of Gucci.” He said, “It was very bizarre. I don’t know if it’s because I got tired or if Paolo was just demanding my attention, but that can happen.”

Still, Leto stayed in character in between takes for “WeCrashed,” according to Hathaway. She told the magazine, “I didn’t really work with Jared. He was only ever Adam. It was fun. Wild and focused. Inspiring.”

Leto also told Variety that he met Neumann in-person as part of his prep for the role, and recalled being captivated by the Israeli entrepreneur. He also advised Neumann not to watch the show. “I don’t even watch it,” said Leto, who famously does not like to watch his own projects. “So why would I tell him to watch it?”