Jared Leto risks it all to climb the Empire State Building and set record: "I’m alive!"

New York, New York - Oscar winner and Marvel superhero Jared Leto climbed up the Empire State Building in a daring feat to make a big announcement, becoming the first person ever to legally scale the iconic New York City tower.

Jared Leto set a record to become the first person ever to legally scale the iconic New York City landmark, the Empire State Building.
Jared Leto set a record to become the first person ever to legally scale the iconic New York City landmark, the Empire State Building.  © Collage: ROY ROCHLIN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

Who's that hanging off the side of the Big Apple's most famous landmark? It's not King Kong, it's Jared Leto.

Wearing a red suit, climbing gear, and sunglasses - and noticeably without a helmet - the multi-hyphenate star swung from ropes on Thursday morning to climb the outside of one of the world's tallest buildings for a special reason.

The actor-singer pulled the stunt to announce his band, Thirty Seconds to Mars, is about to set out on a world tour.

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The 2024 Seasons tour will be the rock band's first in over five years and kicks off March 15 at Lollapalooza in Buenos Aires. It will then travel through North America, Europe, Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand in support of the band's sixth studio album, It’s the End of the World but It’s a Beautiful Day.

The frontman climbed up the east side of the Empire State Building from the 86th to the 104th floor, taking only about 20-minutes to get to the base of its antenna.

Jared Leto climbs the Empire State Building in a daring feat

Jared Leto during his climb up the side of the Empire State Building in New York City.
Jared Leto during his climb up the side of the Empire State Building in New York City.  © ROY ROCHLIN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

Despite being an experienced climber and having the Empire State Building takeover on his bucket list, "I have to be honest, it was very, very hard," Leto told TODAY afterward. "It was a lot harder than I thought it would be."

"I made it. I’m alive. I made it to the top," he added, showing off a bloody hand injury he got in the process. His mom surprised him by being there for support.

"The building is a testament of all the things that can be done in the world if we put our minds to it, which is largely the inspiration behind our most recent album," he added in a statement.

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The 51-year-old set a record to become the first to ever legally scale the landmark, although others have tried unsanctioned.

"It's incredible," Leto said. "To watch the sun rise overlooking the city that's meant so much to me. Ever since I was a kid, New York stood for the place that you went to make your dreams come true."

Cover photo: Collage: ROY ROCHLIN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

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