Jared Leto confirms he will play late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld in new biopic

Virgin Radio

7 Oct 2022, 16:01

Hollywood actor Jared Leto will take on a titan of the fashion world for his next role. 

The House of Gucci star will play late designer Karl Lagerfeld in an upcoming biopic, which he will also produce as part of his Paradox production company. 

The movie has the full backing of the Lagerfeld fashion house, but other details are being kept under wraps, with a director yet to be announced. 

Lagerfeld, who passed away in 2019 aged 85, was best known as the creative director for brands Chanel and Fendi, and the new flick will detail the “key relationships in his life, told through an unpredictable lens, much like the man himself.”

All the details came to light through Jared himself in an interview with Woman’s Wear Daily, in which he explained: “I feel like this is a full-circle moment, and Karl would be proud of what we are doing.

“Karl was an artist. Period. He was a fashion designer, he was a photographer, he was an artist. There was no defining him. He was a creative powerhouse.”

He continued: “Karl had a career that spanned 50-plus years so both personally and professionally he was close to a number of people. I can say we are going to home in on key relationships that convey different parts of his life.”

According to the Morbius actor, when he first met the German designer, Jared told him he was going to play him in a movie one day, to which Karl replied: “Only you, darling, only you.”

Karl is considered one of the most prominent fashion designers of all time, and was famous for his signature white hair, dark sunglasses and finger-less gloves. 

He was praised for his work revitalising Chanel, serving as creative director from 1983 until his death. 

Earlier this year, Jared appeared on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky to talk about being the first to play Marvel’s Morbius on the big screen. 

Morbius is the origin story of Michael Morbius, who suffers from a rare blood disease he’s determined to cure. Despite the thorough plans to rid himself of his illness, the cure instead causes transgenic vampirism, with superhuman abilities.

It was the first time comic book fans have seen Morbius portrayed on the big screen, and it was something Jared wanted to sink his teeth into (no pun intended).

He told Chris: “I'd never been in a film like this. I've never starred in a big Marvel movie, obviously. But what I loved about it is it's the very first time this character has ever been on the screen. So, it was quite an honour to be asked to bring it to life.”