Leonardo DiCaprio has opened up about the iconic role he had to fight for early in his career.
In a recent interview with VT, the 50-year-old, who is undoubtedly one of Hollywood’s most celebrated actors, discussed his new film One Battle After Another.
The conversation also turned to another role earlier in his career.
The role that Leonardo DiCaprio had to fight hardest for
That role was his breakthrough role in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993).
The Titanic actor shared that he “fought” for the role of Arnie Grape, a mentally disabled young man, in the film, even turning down more financially promising opportunities.
"I think that I had done This Boy's Life, and I kind of gave myself a film education at home alone for a year, watching VHS tapes of every movie ever," he explained.
“There was a moment where I was going to take another part, but I said, ‘No, no, no, I have to fight for this role!’”
“I really wanted that role. I knew that was a fantastic director and a fantastic part... so that was the moment for me,” he added.
The gamble paid off, as DiCaprio’s portrayal of Arnie earned him critical acclaim and his first Academy Award nomination.
Roles DiCaprio regrets not taking
In a separate interview with Esquire, which was published last month, DiCaprio reflected on turning down the opportunity to star in Boogie Nights (1997), one of the most critically acclaimed films of the 1990s.
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the film followed the rise of a porn star in the 1970s and featured an ensemble cast including Julianne Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Mark Wahlberg.
“My biggest regret is not doing Boogie Nights,” DiCaprio admitted.
“It was a profound movie of my generation... When I finally got to see that movie, I just thought it was a masterpiece."
The Revenant star had been offered the role of Dirk Diggler, but was already committed to Titanic - the film that would catapult him to international superstardom.
He ultimately recommended Wahlberg for the role, who received critical praise for his performance.
DiCaprio’s New Collaboration with Paul Thomas Anderson
DiCaprio and Anderson are finally collaborating on their new project - One Battle After Another.
In the film, DiCaprio plays Bob Ferguson, a washed-up revolutionary trying to come to terms with his past while searching for his long-lost daughter.
DiCaprio spoke enthusiastically about the collaboration, saying: “I’ve been wanting to work with you - Paul - for something like twenty years now, and I loved this idea of the washed-up revolutionary trying to erase his past and disappear and try and live some sort of normal life raising his daughter," per Variety.
The movie is described as urgent and politically charged, with DiCaprio calling it “powerful” and highlighting its timely themes, Toronto Sun reported.
Anderson, who is known for his films There Will Be Blood, Magnolia, and Phantom Thread, said that the script for his latest project has evolved over the years.
“I might’ve been noodling around with this and writing it for 20 years, but Benicio came in to do his sequence and we wrote the best sequence in the movie in a day and a night at dinner, really. So it’s always evolving,” he said.
He added: “We have our premise, we have our story points, we have our characters, but there has to be room for discovery."
The movie also boasts an ensemble cast, including Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Alana Haim.
One Battle After Another hits theaters on September 26.
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