He’s serious Oscar buzz for his portrayal of a male-to-female transgender character addicted to drugs and dying of AIDS in Jean-Marc Vallee‘s Dallas Buyers Club…

Now Jared Leto is offering special insight into his critically-hailed role in “Making Rayon Real,” a featurette about the character.

In the video, courtesy of the film’s distributor Focus Features, the 42-year-old part-Spanish actor/singer – a best supporting actor hopeful – discusses what drew him to playing the character, what she taught him about himself, how he came to admire her and what he went through to bring her to life.

Among other things, Leto shed 40 pounds, waxed his body, altered his voice pitch and spoke with a dialect.

The video also features Leto’s costars Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner describing their experience working on the film with the actor — whom, they say, they only ever met as Rayon, and who remained in-character throughout the indie’s shoot.

Leto has already nabbed best supporting actor Independent Spirit, Critics’ Choice, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award nominations for the role and he won the New York and Los Angeles film critics’ corresponding prize.