One of the most critically acclaimed rock bands of recent years is 30 Seconds to Mars, an American band from California who have been together since 1998. Although in recent years they have been getting more airplay, selling more records and playing more gigs, but in recent interviews the band have indicated that after their current tour they will be taking a break, and this could be anything up to 10 years away from music.
30 Seconds to Mars was founded in 1998 by Jared Leto, who also works as an actor. The band also features his brother Shannon as a drummer. Leto has said several times that music is what he was always really interested in and that acting was something he only did to fill in the time. For a lot of people though he is better known as an actor due to his roles in TV series My So Called Life and movies such as American Psycho, Fight Club and the Thin Red Line. During the time when Jared Leto was building up his acting career, he was also developing his music career and working to raise the profile of 30 Seconds to Mars, taking the group from a small family hobby band into a more mainstream rock band with a contract with a major record label. Jared Leto also tries to keep his acting and his music completely separate. He does not use his Hollywood fame to promote the band, and the fact that he is a well-known actor does not feature in any of the band's marketing material.