( CNN ) -- Matthew McConaughey was n't the only `` Dallas Buyers Club '' actor pushing his body to the limit . Co-star Jared Leto recently revealed to The Wrap that he lost 30 to 40 pounds for his role as a transsexual living with HIV in the 1980s . To get down to 114 pounds , `` I stopped eating , '' Leto said , adding that such a drastic physical change had an impact beyond the scale . `` It changes the way you walk , the way you sit , the way you think , '' the 41-year-old musician and actor said . McConaughey : First burger post-diet was as good as I hoped . But Leto , who has n't done a film in roughly four years , has altered his appearance for previous roles , including gaining weight to play Mark David Chapman in 2007 's `` Chapter 27 . '' As he told New York magazine 's Vulture in 2012 , `` it 's not about the most weight I can lose , it 's more to represent the character . '' While fasting to portray his `` Dallas Buyers '' character Rayon , Leto said he was meditating on `` what it means to be a transsexual woman . '' It looks like his hard work -- and that of co-stars McConaughey and Jennifer Garner , who portrays a physician -- paid off . `` Dallas Buyers Club '' received good reviews when it premiered over the weekend at the Toronto International Film Festival . The film , based on a true story and directed by Jean-Marc Vallee ( `` The Young Victoria '' ; `` C.R.A.Z.Y . `` ) , stars McConaughey as a homophobic , hell-raising cowboy who refuses to accept his doctors ' warnings he only has 30 days to live after being diagnosed with HIV in the mid-'80s . McConaughey lost 38 pounds to play the gaunt Woodroof , who went against the medical system and set off across international borders to round up HIV treatments . Using an entrepreneurial hustler 's spirit , he then sells the treatments to those in need through his `` Dallas Buyers Club . '' 'Dallas Buyers Club ' : Watch Matthew McConaughey 's transformation . The Hollywood Reporter called the film an `` enthralling drama '' told with `` vigor and an assured light touch '' and said the star 's portrayal of Woodroof is `` a full-bodied characterization that will take McConaughey 's already impressive career regeneration several steps further . '' The review praised Leto , too , calling him `` simply wonderful ... in the showier supporting role . '' Variety also commented how well McConaughey inhabited his character , saying that `` any doubts that still exist '' about the 43-year-old star 's talent will be `` permanently put to rest . '' `` But McConaughey 's is not the only performance of note in this riveting and surprisingly relatable true story , '' Variety said , complimenting Leto for his `` sensitive , considerate '' characterization . The industry trade predicted that `` rave reviews for both actors should draw mainstream ( audiences ) to one of the year 's most vital and deserving indie efforts . '' Audiences will find out if Variety 's correct when `` Dallas Buyers Club '' opens November 1 .
Jared Leto stars with Matthew McConaughey in upcoming `` Dallas Buyers Club '' The actor/musician says he lost 30 to 40 pounds for role . ''The movie is about a guy who has an eating disorder and goes on this journey of self-discovery that leads him into the world of food and eating,'' said Leto, whose weight loss was Critics have raved about both actors ' performances .