Leonardo DiCaprio has had an illustrious career in Hollywood, working alongside some of the industry’s most renowned actors over the past three decades. Despite his extensive list of acclaimed movies like “The Wolf of Wall Street”, “Django Unchained”, and “Titanic”, the Oscar-winning actor, now 51, reflects fondly on one of his earliest collaborations as being with his “favorite actor of all time.”
Before gaining fame with roles in “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape”, where he played the brother of Johnny Depp’s character, and the romantic lead in “Romeo + Juliet”, DiCaprio’s career trajectory took a significant turn with a pivotal role in the coming-of-age film “This Boy’s Life”.
In this film, DiCaprio had the chance to work with one of the most respected figures in the industry, Robert De Niro.
“I was 15 years old, and I remember every single detail. Everything was so new to me,” DiCaprio recalled, sharing his experience of meeting his admired actor.
De Niro had personally selected DiCaprio for the role, effectively launching the young actor’s journey to becoming one of Hollywood’s most in-demand stars.
DiCaprio honed his craft by observing De Niro, whose compelling and intense performances first captivated audiences as Travis Bickle in Martin Scorsese’s 1976 film “Taxi Driver”.
“Watching Robert De Niro on set, seeing his dedication, was one of the most influential experiences of my life,” DiCaprio mentioned to Time Out.
Following this early collaboration, DiCaprio worked with his idol again in “Marvin’s Room” three years later, and then in 2015’s “The Audition”, before reuniting once more in Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” (2023).
Both DiCaprio and De Niro have been muses for Scorsese throughout their careers, with De Niro appearing in 10 of his films and DiCaprio starring in six.
This professional connection with a legendary director is undoubtedly significant for DiCaprio, who has praised De Niro’s collaborations with Scorsese as ‘mind-blowing’.
In a 2014 interview with Variety, DiCaprio expressed, “That is sort of the golden relationship of cinema to me. I mean, it just gets no better than that.
“That run of films that they did together is just… I can’t even talk about it, it’s that mind-blowing.”
He further revealed in the interview what had impressed De Niro during his audition all those years back, securing him his first major role. It was not a mere polite request.
At just 15, DiCaprio boldly screamed in De Niro’s face during the audition. Rather than being put off, the seasoned star was impressed.
“He told me, ‘I was the one who said you should get the job,’ which is very sweet,” DiCaprio added.
In May, DiCaprio had the opportunity to publicly honor the 82-year-old De Niro, presenting him with an honorary Palme D’or and acknowledging the profound impact De Niro had on his life.