Jared Leto says he is trying to gain weight for his role as the Joker in upcoming film Suicide Squad.

As previously reported, the 30 Seconds to Mars singer is due to play the iconic character in the movie, which brings together a number of super villains.

Leto will cover the new issue of Billboard and the publication have revealed a short extract from their feature.

During the interview, the singer and actor says: "Do you mind if I eat a little?

"I'm trying to gain a lot of weight. It means I have to eat every couple of hours - and I'm terrible at eating a lot."

Leto tucked into some vegan tacos, before saying of his role:

"The opportunity to take on this nearly Shakespearean character - that's what graphic novels and comic books are becoming, right? [He's] this beautiful disaster of a character - what a big challenge."

Suicide Squad meanwhile is slated for an August 5, 2016 release.

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Watch Jared Leto being interviewed below: