Leonardo DiCaprio, one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actors, is known for frequently captivating audiences in major films, but he often prefers to keep a low profile when he’s not working and has now shared the reason why.
The Titanic actor, 51, has been a dominant force in the film industry for over three decades, starring in popular movies like Inception, The Revenant, and The Wolf of Wall Street, among others.
Despite winning three Golden Globes and an Academy Award for his outstanding performances, DiCaprio values maintaining a private life away from the public eye.
“It’s been a balance I’ve been managing my whole adult life,” he told TIME Magazine. “and still I’m not an expert. I think my simple philosophy is only get out there and do something when you have something to say, or you have something to show for it. Otherwise, just disappear as much as you possibly can.”
Having no issues with promoting his projects and advocating for film as an art form, DiCaprio is known to go incognito in his personal life.
The acclaimed actor often uses face-masks, a practice he started during the Covid pandemic, or a low baseball cap to maintain his privacy. This approach is crucial for him, and for a very specific reason.
“I was like, OK, how do I have a long career? Because I love what I do, and I feel like the best way to have a long career is to get out of people’s face.”
Before 2019, DiCaprio already had a penchant for wearing caps, but in recent years, he has embraced covering up to keep his famous face hidden.
Being more covered seems to make him feel more at ease.
Although it may not be surprising that the Django Unchained star opts for a more subdued appearance while running errands or visiting coffee shops, DiCaprio’s commitment to avoiding the limelight is so strong that he even wore a baseball cap to a wedding earlier this year.
At what was one of the most high-profile weddings of the year, he mingled with other A-listers as a guest at Jeff Bezos’ Venice wedding.
Despite being impeccably dressed in a tuxedo, his low-slung black baseball cap didn’t escape the attention of keen-eyed paparazzi.
DiCaprio’s fame skyrocketed with the release of Titanic in 1997.
Prior to that, he was just emerging in the industry, although he was already on the path to success with nominations for both the Golden Globes and Oscars for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?
However, it was Titanic that truly changed the game, with DiCaprio admitting he was unprepared for the attention it brought.
“Before Titanic, I had no conception of what any of it meant, “ he told Deadline back in 2016. “It was shocking.”
“People said, “Do you realize how big of a movie this is?” I said, “Yeah, it’s big. It’s a big movie.” They’re like, “No. No. No, it’s the biggest movie ever,” and I’m like, “Well, what does that mean? So it’s big.” They’re like, “No. No. No, you don’t get it. You don’t understand what this means.” I thought, okay, great, it made a lot of money, and people are seeing it.”
“We never predicted that it would be what it was, and I said, “Okay, slow down. Let all this pass a little bit, and let’s get back to…find something that…I knew it was going to be an adjustment. I knew there was an expectation of me to do a certain thing at that point, and I knew I had to get back to what my intentions were from the onset.”