PHOTOS Jared Leto’s weight loss for Dallas Buyer’s Club

Jared Leto is starving himself for a cause. The forty-year-old actor/musician recently signed on to the 2013 flick Dallas Buyer’s Club which required him to lose a ton of weight, and boy, has he. Earlier today, he and photographer Terry Richardson released some shocking photos of his weight loss.

“I’m playing a transsexual woman,” Jared tells Vulture of his upcoming role. “I didn’t get involved in the project until a few weeks ago, three and a half weeks ago.”

While this isn’t the first time he’s had to lose weight for a role, Jared is trying to be as healthy as he possibly can during the transition. “Your body goes through weird stages,” he explains. “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.”

In addition to his weight loss, Jared has also shaved off his eyebrows and shaved his legs.

As sickly as he may look, Jared is actually embracing his new body and trying to benefit from his fast. “Historically, people have done it for pursuit of self, to achieve a meditative state, so I’m hoping for that, and not the other things,” he admits. “It’s not necessarily a bad thing.”

There’s no word on how much Jared has lost so far, but his co-star Matthew McConaughey lost nearly 40 pounds to play an HIV patient in the flick.

Photos: Terry Richardson