Jared Leto Had Jury Duty Yesterday, Oscar Nomination Today
Jan. 16, 2014— -- Jared Leto may have received an Oscar nomination this morning, but that doesn't exempt him from jury duty.
"Yesterday I was doing jury duty and today I got an Oscar nomination," he told ABC News. "Only in America."
Leto has been lauded this awards season for his role as an HIV-positive transgender prostitute in "Dallas Buyers Club." He picked up his first Golden Globe Award Sunday.
"It was the role of a lifetime," he said. "It was an incredible thing to represent this group of people who largely are ignored. It was an incredibly challenging time for a group of people who were with faced with an incredibly deplorable set of circumstances and they were fighting for their lives."
Leto, 42, was also excited to be part of a film that received six Oscar nominations, including one for best picture and a best actor nom for his co-star Matthew McConaughey.
It was a film that very nearly didn't get made.
"It took about 20 years to get this film made," Leto said. "The tiny little thing cost like $4 million so it's a testament to the hard work and passion of the filmmakers."
Leto, who had been "touring the planet" with his band 30 Seconds to Mars, took the role after a six-year hiatus from acting.
WATCH: Jared Leto Transforms Himself for 'Dallas Buyers Club'
"We had more success than we ever dreamed would be possible and that was an incredible thing," Leto said of his band. "But it also meant I didn't have a lot of time on my hands. But I thought I should probably make another film. Because six years can turn into a lifetime. And I wanted to see what was left for me."
He continued, "And I'm really grateful this beautiful story came my way and I was able to bring this character to life. This wonderful creature who was unfortunately addicted to drugs and dying of AIDS and fighting for her life."
