Despite Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Wahlberg being best friends on camera, it was not the case off camera, unfortunately. Reportedly, the two hated each other’s guts. Although the two were able to overcome their differences soon enough, the duo started off rocky. It was said to have started since their MTV days when the two participated in Rock and Jock basketball game. DiCaprio, the punk teen, despised the guy playing wearing only underwear, which happened to be Wahlberg, who blocked his shot in the MTV Basketball game.
But soon enough, the thing that was the cause of their discourse, which happened to be basketball, soon turned their rivalry into a beautiful friendship.
Why did Leonardo DiCaprio hate Mark Wahlberg so much?
Well, Leonardo DiCaprio had more than one reason to hate his co-star Mark Wahlberg. When the two teen stars first participated in an MTV Basketball game together, where it should be noted that Wahlberg played the game in nothing but underwear, reportedly blocked the winning shot of the Titanic star, and dragged the limelight all to himself.
That was the first impression of Wahlberg that had a lasting impression in DCaprio’s memory. Therefore when the actor got to know, that the same kid who blocked him in his underwear had a chance to co-star in the 1995 film named The Basketball Diaries, he lost it. The Patriots Day actor revealed back in the day to The Hollywood Reporter,
“So he was like, ‘This f****** a****** is not going to be in this movie.'”
This hatred was turned up a notch when Wahlberg turned up eight hours late to their first table read. Although the NYC snowstorm was to blame for that, DiCaprio chose to blame his archenemy’s tardiness. Wahlberg explained,
“Of course, I show up eight hours late by accident. I was in New York and there was a huge snowstorm, so I went to Puerto Rico for the weekend with my entourage. Coming home, my flight gets canceled. I show up late, he’s [DiCaprio] sitting there pissed.”
It was really bad in the beginning, it seemed that the two star’s relationship was in a place that had no point of return. But with time the two became close and now are great friends.
How did the two turn their rivalry into a friendship?
Once production started and the two young actors got to know each other, the beef between them quickly dissipated as they discovered that the other was not as bad as they had originally thought. And just like that, the two became friends in no time. In an Extra interview, Wahlberg revealed,
“Once I finally got to the point where I was able to audition and read with him, then we just both kinda looked at each other. We were like, ‘Wow!’ We were literally out that night and we became fast friends.”
Decades later, Wahlberg revealed,
“We both had to really learn how to respect each other, and we earned it.”
With time, their relationship evolved and they still stand strong. Leonardo DiCaprio may have a bad reputation for changing his girlfriends as soon as they turn 25, but he did not leave Wahlberg behind. This probably is one of his longest-running relationships in the industry and the two are grateful for each other.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
