Jared Leto 'Grateful And Excited' To Play Gay Artist Andy Warhol

Jared Leto will play iconic artist Andy Warhol in an upcoming film.

Leto, 48, confirmed the role on the day after what would have been Warhol's 92^nd birthday.

“Yes it's true I will be playing Andy Warhol in an upcoming film,” Leto captioned a series of Warhol photos. “And so grateful and excited about the opportunity. [smile, prayer emoji] Happy belated birthday Andy [cake, heart emoji].”

“We miss you and your genius,” he added.

Warhol is best known for popularizing what became known as pop art, an example of which is his iconic Campbell's soup cans.

Warhol, who was gay, also produced photography, drawings, and films that were deemed controversial because of their homoeroticism or emphasis on gay underground culture.

Warhol died in 1987 at the age of 58 from complications arising from gallbladder surgery.

In the 2013 film Dallas Buyers Club, Leto transformed himself to play an HIV+ transgender woman. His portrayal of Rayon earned him an Oscar. Other notable roles include his portrayal of Harry Goldfarb in Requiem for a Dream, the Joker in Suicide Squad, and Paul Allen in American Psycho.