It's not easy asking Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto about his other job.

The guy's the leader of a hard-rocking band that is propulsive and energetic, with a big, anthemic sound that draws on U2, the Cure, and classic rock for its aural infrastructure.

The four-piece band is touring tirelessly behind its new disc "A Beautiful Lie," zig-zagging across the country at a grueling pace. It plays smallish joints in Toledo one night (tomorrow at Headliners), Chicago the next, followed by a day off before hitting Grand Rapids and Columbus - about 45 cities in two months.

And the shows are intense affairs designed to leave Thirty Seconds to Mars and its fans thoroughly drained.

"It's about giving 15-year-old kids a chance to lose their minds for an hour and a half because they can't do it anywhere else," said the band's rhythm guitarist Tomo Milicevic from a tour stop in Pennsylvania.

Every time the band plays one of its shows and climbs back on the bus to hit another town, Leto puts a few more miles between himself and what to this point has been an inarguable pop culture point:

Actors can't be legitimate singers, much less the creative force behind a touring rock band.

The evidence abounds and it's pretty ugly: Kevin Bacon, John Belushi, Bruce Willis, Eddie Murphy, Robert Downey, Jr.

Leto's film work includes Panic Room, Lord of War, and Alexander, in addition to the television show My So-Called Life. But he also grew up playing in bands with his brother Shannon, who is the drummer in Thirty Seconds to Mars.

So music is not a hobby for him; it's as much a passion as acting. A few years ago, he turned down an offer from Clint Eastwood to appear in a World War II movie because he wanted to take his band on the road.

As an opening act.

Which is probably why he doesn't flinch when asked the inevitable, and potentially insulting question about how he establishes his cred as a singer when so many have failed before him.

"I am very proud of the films I've made and I'm proud of the music, too," he said. "I think it's an amazing thing to do, to be in a band that is singled out as an exception to that stereotype."

Obviously Leto would prefer to talk about the band, which he formed in the late '90s with Shannon. Jared Leto writes all the lyrics, does the arrangements, serves as lead guitarist and frontman, and he is clearly the leader of the group.

Thirty Seconds to Mars' first disc, 2002's self-titled effort, was a moody progressive-rock affair, compared to the more song-oriented "A Beautiful Lie," which features increased input from Milicevic, Shannon Leto, and bassist Matt Wachter.

"We make rock that has a certain size and scope to it - big guitars with soaring vocals and it's ambitious," Leto said.

The disc has a fairly broad dynamic range with a mix of song styles and instrumentation, separating it from garden-variety emo or metal.

"Bands like Led Zeppelin, The Who, that we grew up listening to, really inspired us to experiment and make an album that was a cohesive whole rather than a bunch of singles," he said.

Milicevic, a Detroit native, joined the band a little more than three years ago, completing a rock-and-roll fairy tale. He grew up a dedicated music fan, traveling to Toledo often to see some of his favorite bands play local clubs. He also was seriously into Thirty Seconds to Mars.

"I was beyond a fan," he said. "I was a super fan. I loved this band so much."

When he got word that Leto was auditioning for guitar players in Los Angeles, he borrowed a few hundreds bucks from his parents and flew to the tryout brimming with confidence.

"When I went to the audition, I had the cockiest attitude of anyone because I already knew all the songs," said the 26-year-old.

Within a few weeks, he went from being a waiter at a Detroit theme restaurant, singing "Happy Birthday" to customers, to playing on the Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn for millions of viewers.

"It was pretty much a drastic life change," he said. "It was so surreal for so long."

Like a lot of people, when he first heard of the band, Milicevic said he questioned Leto's credibility as a singer. "I was one of the skeptics, but he actually can sing very well," he said.

For Leto, Thirty Seconds to Mars is as important as acting, and the tour is his priority right now.

"It is a lot of hard work. A lot of people think it's this Motley Crue lifestyle, but it's not. It's fun, but you have to really be passionate about it and love it."

Thirty Seconds to Mars performs tomorrow in Headliners, 4500 North Detroit Ave. Doors open at 7 for the all-ages show. Opening bands will be Aiden and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. Tickets, $13 in advance and $16 the day of the show, are available at www.ticketmaster.com. Information: www.30secondstomars.com.

Contact Rod Lockwood at: rlockwood@theblade.com

or 419-724-6159.

First Published March 30, 2006, 12:03 p.m.