Starring alongside Margot Robbie in the 2023 blockbuster Barbie, America Ferrera is making headlines for her Oscar-nominated performance as Gloria. However, amidst her soaring career achievement, Ferrera recently revealed a hilarious and slightly embarrassing encounter with the Hollywood heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio.
Renowned for his portrayal of Jack in the romantic drama Titanic, DiCaprio has captured the hearts of millions, Ferrera being one of them, as she admitted to watching the film multiple times. While recalling being overwhelmed after meeting the Titanic star, she also expressed her hope that DiCaprio never learns about her emotional reaction.
America Ferrera Got Overwhelmed After Meeting Leonardo DiCaprio
During a recent appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Barbie actress America Ferrera shared how being starstruck could “sneak up on you,” especially when encountering someone with whom you have a childhood connection, like the Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio, whom she at the 2007 Screen Actors Guild Awards.
The 39-year-old actress recounted her admiration for the actor, stating that she watched Titanic multiple times in theatres. So when she found herself face to face with the acclaimed actor at the award ceremony, her emotions got the best of her.
“Okay, so first time I went to the SAG Awards, and I had won for Ugly Betty, I had been onstage and the whole thing,” she said before adding, “I was feeling kind of like, ‘I belong here, this is cool.”
During the award ceremony, she also met DiCaprio and said “Hello” to him.
However, after greeting the actor, she swiftly “went around the corner and just started weeping.” Ferrera recalled that she was with her husband, then boyfriend, Ryan Piers Williams at the time and felt so embarrassed as he told her to “stop crying.”
America Ferrera, who was initially uncertain if she should share this story, later said, “I hope Leonardo DiCaprio never sees this.” And the talk show host Seth Meyers jokingly assured her, saying that he “probably won’t” see her confession about crying after meeting the Hollywood star.
America Ferrara Wanted to be Tom Hanks Growing Up
Along with her overwhelming encounter with Leonardo DiCaprio, America Ferrera also opened up about the actor who inspired her growing up. “Growing up, people were like, “Oh, like, who did you want to be, like Salma Hayek or like J.Lo?” she recalled.
However, the actress shared that she wanted to be Tom Hanks. “And I was like, ‘Tom Hanks,'” she said before adding, “Like, that was my goal.” The Ugly Betty actress also recalled meeting the acclaimed actor a couple of weeks ago and how nice he was to her.
She met Hanks at an award ceremony. She recalled that the Cast Away actor approached and complimented her with kind words. The actress expressed that the interaction was significant and has left a lasting impact on her.
“He came up to me at an event, and he said very nice things to me,” she said before adding, “And that was truly the moment where I felt like … ‘Okay, I’m happy, I can tap out now.”
Ferrera has been receiving praise for her performance in the 2023 Barbie, for which she has also earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
