Jared Leto becomes the first person to legally climb to the top of the Empire State Building
“It was a lot harder than I thought it would be,” the star said of fulfilling his lifelong dream.
Jared Leto is taking his stardom to new heights — literally.
The 51-year-old actor and Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman climbed the Empire State Building on Thursday to promote his band’s upcoming world tour, scaling the east side of it from floors 86 to 104, a roughly 20-minute hike nearly 1,300 feet up in the air.
“I was more excited than nervous, to tell you the truth,” Leto told Today after the shocking stunt. “But I have to be honest, it was very, very hard. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Just the endurance that it took, the stamina that it took — and it was very sharp.”
Leto is the first person ever to legally climb to the top of the Empire State Building, officials for the New York City landmark confirmed to EW.
Jared Leto scales the Empire State Building.RENAN OZTURK
Though the climb was to promote Thirty Seconds to Mars’ upcoming Seasonsworld tour — set to run across North America, Latin America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand between March and September 2024 — Leto said the feat has been a coveted item on his bucket list for a long time.
Jared Leto scales the Empire State Building.RENAN OZTURK
Jared Leto perched on the Empire State Building.RENAN OZTURK
Jared Leto resting on the Empire State Building.RENAN OZTURK
“It’s incredible to watch the sun rise overlooking the city that’s meant so much to me,” he said. “Ever since I was a kid, New York stood for the place that you went to make your dreams come true. And as a young kid, I wanted to be an artist, and New York was the place that you came to be an artist. And the Empire State Building was always that symbol for me.”
Leto said he’s always had a fascination with the towering monument, adding, “And I love to climb.”