Viola Davis was so creeped out by Jared Leto’s Joker performance that she wanted to pepper spray him

Jared Leto is the ultimate method actor, a fact he proved time and time again while filming Suicide Squad. We’ve heard countless stories about his wild antics and the ways he got into character on set. Leto — we mean, the Joker — sent a henchman to scare his fellow cast members, and left them creepy gifts like ransom notes, a live black rat, and used condoms.

One of those gifts went to Viola Davis. She received a box of bullets, and it left her pretty spooked. It turns out that Leto was so committed to being in character, Davis didn’t properly meet him until after filming was over. They were introduced for the first time at a Glamour magazine event.

“Before that I was only introduced to The Joker … and I almost had my pepper spray out. You know, ‘You remember that bullet you sent me?’” she told E! News.

Leto’s method acting definitely stuck with Davis throughout the shooting process.

“It got so crazy that there were times during filming that I had heart palpitations — not only heart palpitations, but at one point I said, ‘Did I suffer from hearing loss?’” Davis continued.

Whoa! We can’t even imagine what it would be like to live in fear of a real-life Joker — which is basically what Leto was like for a few months. We’re glad Davis is okay, and we also kind of admire Leto’s commitment.

“I did a lot of things to create a dynamic to create an element of surprise, a spontaneity and to really break down any kind of walls that may be there,” Leto told E! News. “The Joker is somebody who doesn’t really respect things like personal space or boundaries.”