No matter how alluring the chemistry between two co-stars may seem on screen, you never know what grudges they hold behind the camera. The 1996 film Romeo + Juliet depicted great chemistry between the lead actors, Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio.
It was their impeccable acting that made them look more like a real couple. But that’s not the case in any way, since both actors faked it all the while and, in fact, despised each other.
What was the feud between Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio?
Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio once collaborated on the 1996 romantic drama film Romeo + Juliet. The actors portrayed the role of lovers, but in reality, the two didn’t even see eye to eye on the set. According to some sources, Danes and DiCaprio barely talked after filming a scene.
Reportedly, the reason behind their feud was that Danes used to get annoyed by DiCaprio’s constant pranks. Moreover, the two were quite young at the time of the filming. Danes was just 17 at the time, while DiCaprio was 21.
Danes often found the Shutter Island actor a little immature. DiCaprio also wasn’t very fond of Danes, as he thought she was “uptight”. Although Danes did get bothered by DiCaprio’s on-set mischiefs, she didn’t fail to acknowledge his other good qualities.
Yes, they didn’t get along well because of their different natures, but Danes once admitted that she had a slight crush on DiCaprio. Well, Danes can’t be blamed here, as it’s indeed hard to refrain from DiCaprio’s charm. During an interview with a news outlet, the actress confessed that she had a crush on her co-star, but it was problematic for her. Danes said,
“That was problematic. I couldn’t really have a crush on the guy I was professionally having a crush on!”
Further, the actress went on to share that a year later, after the film was released, she had a conversation with a few gay men who claimed that
“when they were kids watching Romeo + Juliet, they were confused about who they wanted to kiss.”
Indeed, there is something about Leonardo Di Caprio’s charm that entices everyone.
Claire Danes wasn’t the first choice of the makers of Romeo+Juliet
Even though Claire Danes and Leonardo Di Caprio didn’t get along well on the set, their onscreen chemistry did create magic. Looking at them as Romeo and Juliet, it’s indeed hard to imagine anyone else in their place.
However, the Juliet of the film, Danes was never the first choice of the filmmaker. Natalie Portman was considered to play the role of Juliet. However, the actress couldn’t make it to the film, as the director later thought that she was too young for the role.
At that time, Portman was just 13 years old, whereas DiCaprio was 21. The huge age gap of eight years between them looked inappropriate. Hence, the filmmakers rejected the idea of casting Portman opposite DiCaprio.
Source: Far Out
