Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the most renowned actors around the world, known exclusively for his portrayal of Jack Dawson in James Cameron’s Titanic. The actor has persistently showcased his versatility and acting chops, charming the viewers with his emotional depth and intense performances. His unwavering commitment to acting was finally rewarded when he won the prestigious Academy Award after being nominated for it six times.
However, before becoming the megastar of Hollywood, Leonardo DiCaprio had to audition for his roles. He shared one instance from his career, where he auditioned for the 1993 film, This Boy’s Life. The film was one of the first notable films of his career, but he thought he will be rejected for the role after he improvised a scene with Robert De Niro.
Leonardo DiCaprio Almost Screwed Himself By Going Off-Script
Leonardo DiCaprio often chooses to make a creative effort by going off-script during his scenes, as he believes that improvising the scene would lead to a better and more authentic performance. He had the same idea during the audition for the 1993 film, and though his intentions to improvise were for good, the reaction he received was not the one he expected.
During an exclusive interview with SAG, the Wolf of Wall Street actor recalled that it was an “abuse scene,” though the improvisation was uncalled for, he got up and screamed at Robert De Niro’s face. However, DiCaprio was surprised by the reaction, petrifying him with fear and regretting how he blew his chance to be a part of the film.
“I remember there was a mustard jar scene, and he had to jam a mustard jar in my eye repeatedly, it was an abuse scene. And the script sort of didn’t call for it, but I got up and he said, ‘Is it empty? Is it empty?’ And I got up and I screamed, ‘No!’… I screamed in his face, and I sat there with my head looking like a red tomato and everyone started laughing at me… And I sat there frozen, just thinking, ‘Oh my god, I just screwed this entire opportunity up.’”
However, Leonardo DiCaprio was surprised when the veteran actor came up to him and stated how he liked his performance.
“And then Bob, in traditional De Niro fashion, kind of just looked at me and went, ‘It’s good.’”
While Robert De Niro assured the Inception actor did a good job in the audition, Tobey Maguire did not expect that DiCaprio would pull off the role in This Boy’s Life.
Tobey Maguire Believed Leonardo DiCaprio Would Be Turned Down For This Boy’s Life
Maguire and DiCaprio have been friends for many decades, and they speak highly of each other when asked about it. However, the Spider-Man actor stated during an interview, that his friend would not end up with the role in the movie because he was not focused enough.
“He was doing karate kicks in the hallway. He wasn’t serious at all. Leo says, ‘De Niro…wasn’t he in Cape Fear? I said, ‘Are you f**king kidding me, dude?’”
Although Maguire believed that his best friend would not end up with the role, DiCaprio proved him wrong by going off script which impressed the veteran actor, helping him to bag the role in the film.
This Boy’s Life can be rented on Apple TV.
Source: SAG-AFTRA Foundation
