Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the most ambitious and hardworking actors in Hollywood. The actor has established himself as a leading superstar in the entertainment industry, steadily building an impressive filmography and prosperous career. The Departed movie star has been making tidal waves since stepping into showbiz to become a star.
He experienced his fair share of highs and lows in his career, but with his hard work and determination, he became a successful actor. DiCaprio rose to superstardom when his excellent portrayal of Jack Dawson in the 1997 American epic romance and disaster film Titanic earned him several awards in the Best Actor category.
Since then, he has worked with many top-tier directors on their passion projects. Nevertheless, the actor once revealed that after the massive success of this film, his cute boy image in the industry nearly made him give up his career.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s Iconic Role in Titanic Nearly Made Him Give Up His Career
Leonardo DiCaprio is a multitalented actor, his journey in Hollywood speaks volumes about his struggles and crowing achievements. The actor has been in the industry for decades and is ruling the silver screen with his charismatic persona and remarkable acting skills. His whimsical acting approach and how he delves deep into his character and embodies them with physicality is inspiring. He has collaborated and worked with enough A-list actors and directors in the industry, including filmmaker James Cameron.
The actor-director duo teamed up on his 1997 American epic romance and disaster film Titanic which earned many prominent awards and became the second highest-grossing film in American cinema history. The film grossed billions of dollars at the global box office, and DiCaprio’s career skyrocketed from then on. However, the Academy Award-winning star once revealed that after the mammoth success of his film, he was being considered “another piece of cute meat” in the media, which led him to nearly give up his career.
Leonardo DiCaprio Wanted to Take a Break From Acting
In a candid interview, Leonardo DiCaprio opened up about the objectification of his image as a piece of cute meat in the industry led him to take a break from his flourishing acting career. The actor claimed that he was overwhelmed by the positive response to his film, and his performance earned him critical acclaim, but he despised the image media created of him that irked him. The Catch Me If You Can movie star said,
“It was pretty disheartening to be objectified like that. I wanted to stop acting for a little bit. It changed my life in a lot of ways, but at the same time, I can’t say that it didn’t give me opportunities. It made me, for the first time, in control of my career.”
DiCaprio emphasized that he wanted to give up acting for a while because of the boyish image he felt was being created in the media. The film director James Cameron once revealed that the actor nearly lost his beloved role of Jack Dawson in Titanic because he didn’t want to give an audition.
The Director recalled,
“He didn’t know he was going to test. He thought it was another meeting to meet Kate. So I said, ‘Okay, we’ll just go in the next room, and we’ll run some lines and I’ll video it.’ And he said, ‘You mean, I’m reading?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ He said, ‘Oh, I don’t read.’ I shook his hand and said, ‘Thanks for coming by. I’m not going to f-ck it up by making the wrong decision in casting. So, you’re going to read, or you’re not going to get the part.'”
He continued,
“So he comes in, until I said, ‘Action.’ Then he turned into Jack. Kate just lit up, and they played the scene. Dark clouds had opened up, and a ray of sun came down and lit up Jack. I’m like, ‘All right. He’s the guy.'”
James Cameron-Directed Titanic earned 14 Academy Awards nominations and won 11. The iconic record-smashing movie starred Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, Frances Fisher, Gloria Stuart, Bernard Hill, and Jonathan Hyde. The film received critical acclaim and became the second highest-grossing project in the world.
Source: CBS News
