Jared Leto climbs Empire State Building

The actor and musician has become the first person to legally scale the 102-storey Empire State Building.

Leto, 51, climbed the outside of the New York landmark in a bright orange jumpsuit and using a rope and harness.

He took on the challenge to promote the forthcoming world tour for his band Thirty Seconds To Mars.

Leto told NBC's Today show: "I was more excited than nervous to tell you the truth. But I have to be honest, it was very, very hard. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be.

"Just the endurance that it took, the stamina that it took, and it was very sharp."

The actor won an Oscar for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club and has also appeared in Morbius, House of Gucci and Suicide Squad.

Thirty Seconds to Mars, known for hits such as Kings and Queens, are set to begin their first headline tour in five years in Buenos Aires in March 2024.

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

He concluded: "I made it to the top, and I saw my mother in the window of the 80th floor, and that was a nice surprise."

Once the world's tallest building, the Empire State stands 380m (1,250ft) high. It measures 443m (1,454ft) when its antenna is taken into account.
 

Here are more pictures from Leto's climb: