While the Hollywood industry might boast about itself for having an exceptional amount of acting and creative talent, only a select few have managed to reach the top of the hierarchy in the business. Thus, when people talk about Leonardo DiCaprio, they automatically talk about one of the greatest stars of all time.
Having been part of some of the most popular and prolific films in the history of cinema, his unblemished record, mixed with his exceptional acting talents, has made him a living legend among the audience members. Though he might be considered an invaluable asset for any film today, there was a time when even his fame wasn’t enough to get considered by a director for a role.
Leonardo DiCaprio Was Rejected For American Psycho
Known to be one of the most dynamic and versatile stars in the film industry thanks to his numerous appearances in polar opposite roles during his career, Leonardo DiCaprio is considered a gemstone of Hollywood. His reputation also precedes him as over the years, he has proved time and time again that he can be trusted with any character that a project can possibly throw at him. But during the time after his Titanic fame, director Mary Harron believed that he wasn’t fit to portray Patrick Bateman from American Psycho.
During the casting process for the main protagonist of the film, the first choice to play the serial killer was Johnny Depp, who left the production after his interest in the film died out. Then, there were a lot of considerations, ranging from Brad Pitt to Edward Norton. Though director Mary Harron believed that Christian Bale was the perfect actor to play the role of Bateman, Lionsgate believed otherwise. After she got the news that the studio had sent The Revenant star an offer for the film, she was visibly annoyed and angry.
She revealed that as DiCaprio was a teenage heartthrob at the time, his image would’ve damaged the appeal of the film, which led her to not even meet with the star face to face. She said:
“He’s not credible as one of these tough Wall Street guys, I did not want to deal with someone with a 13-year-old fanbase.”
While she might’ve rejected the star just because of the persona he involuntarily created, he proved her wrong when he was nominated for an Oscar Award for portraying Jordyn Belfort, a Wall Street guy, in Martin Scorsese’s Wolf Of Wall Street.
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What Makes American Psycho So Popular?
While the film was an outlet to show the world what horrors lurk behind the broken psyche of privileged men in the 90s, what makes American Psycho popular today are the same things, but with a much more informed audience. The film explores the life of Patrick Bateman, a wall street guy, along with his group of like-minded friends, that exercise their liberties to do immoral and borderline illegal activities in a twisted race to one-up each other.
The movie outlines the just results of the heinous murders that Bateman commits. He feels like he can do anything because he’s a successful and privileged individual.
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American Psycho, streaming on Hulu.
Source: The Guardian
