Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is undoubtedly one of the best actors of his generation. At 23 years old, he already has a large number of awards and nominations, in addition to establishing himself in Hollywood as an excellent actor.
Although it was not easy for him, and he had several disappointments in this business from the beginning, Leo finally seems to be at the top of success, thanks to his recent performance in Cameron’s blockbuster, Titanic. In addition to becoming known internationally, he has left broken hearts all over the world.
He was born in Los Angeles on November 11, 1974, and claims that he was surrounded by art from a very young age, which helped him become more sensitive and spiritual.
Leo had already been nominated for an Oscar in 1993 for his role in Who’s Eating Gilbert Grape? Where he played the role of Johnny Depp’s mentally retarded brother, and his performance was magnificent.
“There are times when things happen that you don’t expect, that you live and feel your character as a human being.”
Suddenly, thanks to “The Basketball Diaries,” DiCaprio, at 19 years old, was conceived as the new rebel, the young man with a tortured soul that Hollywood likes to devour.
“People want to see you crazy, an out-of-control teenager, they want you miserable, they want to see you like them, they don’t want heroes; what they want is to see you fall,” Hollywood has forgiven Leo’s bad streak of non-blockbuster but critically acclaimed films, and he receives dozens of scripts each week, his mother handles the finances, and his father reads the scripts.
But DiCaprio is already on the other side, having made a name for himself in the modern adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet” with Claire Danes and in “The Blood That Binds” with Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton, not to mention his performance in “Titanic” alongside Kate Winslet, in addition to having recently worked with figures of the stature of Jeremy Irons, Gerard Depardieu, John Malkovich and Gabriel Byrne in the adaptation of the already classic novel by Alexandre Dumas: The Man in the Iron Mask.
Among her upcoming projects, she is set to appear in Woody Allen’s latest film, “Celebrity,” and later in the film, “Slay the Dreamer.”
“I think I am sometimes a bit impulsive; it is a metaphor for animal instincts in man, and I am an animal.”
How does it feel to be part of a blockbuster that has revolutionized the history of American cinema?
I’ve never been in anything that made over $18 million at the box office, so you can imagine that something of this caliber is new and foreign to me. It was a great experience. It was spectacular, especially the magnitude results, but I tried hard to keep my feet on the ground.
Did you ever imagine the commotion Titanic would cause?
I suspected that taking on this project would be something extraordinary. However, when I first heard about the film, I said to myself, “Here comes another big blockbuster with no content whatsoever.” It is shocking to see all that is happening around and as a result of this film. After all, the headlines may come and go, but what will endure is the film itself.
How difficult can you deal with your fame and new life?
I take it as it comes, day by day. It’s really been difficult. People recognize me more than ever, but I can’t complain. I mean, someone coming up to you and telling you they like your work isn’t the worst thing in the world. However, lately, it’s become much more tedious and complicated. I can’t go out on the street like I used to (smiles), or I could get hurt.
Why is there such a quick and close romance between Jack and Rose?
Rose is definitely drawn to him because Jack sees and understands her point of view, taking her into account as a person. He does not see her or treat her like everyone else, like a porcelain doll. Also, Rose has many elements of Jack’s personality in her, but she has kept them, and when she meets him, it kind of opens her eyes to the world.
Also, Jack is not the type to pressure her into doing something she is not comfortable with. He gives her space and allows her to make decisions for herself. Also, because she would like to be like Jack, free, being with him allows her to live or feel this freedom even if it is not in her own flesh.
Tell me about the romantic scene in the car with Kate Winslet
(Smiles) It was a really fun day, it was questionable if Kate’s character had ever done anything like that before, Jack was a free-spirited guy so you assume (and smiles again) that he’d had this kind of experience before.
Also my relationship on set with Kate was really good, we were like partners, a great team and without her everything would have been harder to do. And I think the combination of the two of us and our good relationship of mutual support made making the film much easier.
What do you think about the special effects?
The effects are amazing; they look so natural that they don’t even look like effects anymore, but that’s the best thing about it: people don’t know where a visual or technical effect is being used and where it isn’t. For example, the scene where the boat leaves looked so wonderful and natural that when I saw the finished film, I couldn’t believe it, as well as the scene where the ship sank. I don’t think I’ve ever done anything with so many extras in my life; they all looked so real! I think the result of the wonderful special effects is very clear in the film.
Moving on to the film “The Man in the Iron Mask,” what do you think of the characters of Louis and Phillipe, which you played?
Well on the one hand, Louis grew up on the throne and has his own point of view on how things should be, he is very arrogant in his dealings with people and has also become a kind of threat to his kingdom. On the other hand, Phillipe is someone who has obviously spent a lot of time alone, locked away, and has had enough time to reflect on his life. I am sure that he has prayed a lot every day to get out of the situation he is in; this has made him more sensitive and humble.
And what do you think about the story itself?
This story has some great things that deserve to be seen. It is a very complex story with many twists and turns full of emotion, and it manages to involve you in it. In addition, it deals with many feelings, such as courage, passion, and honor, which are not seen much anymore.
Was playing these physically identical but internally very different characters difficult for you?
I confess that it was difficult and it was a great challenge for me and my artistic career, especially when you are working with actors of the stature of Malcovich, Depardieu, Irons and Byrne, but it was also a lot of fun when it came to riding horses or sword fighting with Malcovich whom I have always admired so much and it is a dream come true to finally work with him and all the others.
How hard was it to wear the iron mask while acting?
In fact, I think that was the hardest part of filming, I was really frustrated because I would get claustrophobic after ten minutes of wearing it. I felt like banging my head against the wall out of frustration at being confined, it’s supposed to become a part of your body after a while.