From grueling weather conditions to production delays and only a few hours of adequate natural sunlight each day, the experience of filming The Revenant was nothing short of a living hell. Although the film finally won Leonardo DiCaprio his long-awaited Oscar for Best Actor, accomplishing this achievement took a heavy toll on the actor physically and mentally.
Even though he has tackled numerous challenging roles throughout his illustrious career, playing the character of Hugh Glass was a different ball game for the actor, as it pushed him to the limits.
The horrid conditions Leonardo DiCaprio had to tackle during The Revenant‘s Production
Filming the movie in such horrid conditions where the temperature often crept below 40, was a challenge that Leonardo DiCaprio and the entire crew were ready to tackle. And things kept on escalating throughout the 9 months of production, following director Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s adamancy to shoot only with natural sunlight, which was only available for a few hours each day.
Reflecting on the dreadful conditions they had to deal with in order to bring Iñárritu’s vision to fruition, DiCaprio doesn’t share many pleasant memories from the production process. He described the extremity of the situation by stating,
“There was this one day in particular. The coldest I’ve ever felt in my life. I don’t know if the shot was even in the movie, because the camera wouldn’t work. I remember seeing everyone’s eyes kept blinking because their tears would freeze. It was something like 40 below. The eyes would water up and then freeze.”
As a result of pushing his body to the limits in subzero temperatures, the actor went down with flu a few times during the filming process, but his commitment to the material wasn’t hampered by health concerns.
Leonardo DiCaprio was worried about everyone’s safety while partaking in stunts
Although in most cases, Leonardo DiCaprio enjoys participating in his own stunts, in the case of The Revenant, it became extremely stressful. Keeping in mind it was the most extreme experience the actor has ever worked in while also being covered in bear furs and leather, he didn’t want anyone on the team sustaining serious injuries during the stunts. He explained,
“I enjoy doing them once you’re actually on set. But they’re so nerve-racking, because you never want to hurt other people, and there were so many people. And you don’t want to get hurt. It was so nerve-racking, especially when you have bear furs on and leather.”
After pushing his body through hell that won him an Academy Win for Best Actor, DiCaprio would take things slow for a few years, before returning to the big screen with Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.
The Revenant is available to stream on Apple TV.
Source: Deadline
