Jared Leto went to some, um, questionable lengths to prepare for his role in House of Gucci .

The Oscar winner stars as designer Paolo Gucci in the crime drama, which explores the Gucci dynasty and opens in theaters Friday. In an interview with i-D magazine published this week, the actor explained how he did a deep dive into the character once shooting began. And, in his words, he went well beyond standard method acting techniques.

I was snorting lines of arrabbiata sauce by the middle of this movie, Leto said. I had olive oil for blood. ... If you took a biopsy of my skin, it would come back as parmesan cheese!

Calling the film his love letter to Italy, Leto offered up a bizarrely anatomical metaphor to explain just how much he enjoyed and embraced playing Paolo, which required him to undergo a physical transformation by way of prosthetics and makeup.

I climbed into that creative cave and came out through the bowels and intestines into the oesophagus of the one and only Paolo Gucci, he told i-D . Bringing Paolo to life was like birthing a bowling ball out of my sphincter. I keep saying my butt was shaking like two little chicken bones on that set.

Leto is not the only House of Gucci star to tout their commitment to the project in recent weeks.