Leonardo DiCaprio remembers Robert De Niro’s tough love
Leonardo DiCaprio rose to prominence as one of Hollywood’s promising young talents in the early 1990s, with several blinding film appearances leading up to his era-defining role in James Cameron’s Titanic in 1997.
In 1993, DiCaprio made his film debut in This Boy’s Life opposite his violent on-screen stepfather Robert De Niro. That same year, he also earned his first Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for his performance alongside Juliette Lewis and Johnny Depp in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.
Most Hollywood film stars have a huge swathe of acting influences to thank as they swipe up various accolades. In DiCaprio’s case, he was lucky enough to work alongside the likes of De Niro and Depp after just one year in the industry.
Contrary to their violent on-screen relationship, De Niro and DiCaprio bonded like father and son on the set of This Boy’s Life. That said, De Niro’s acting guidance came with a degree of severity and tough love that at first disheartened DiCaprio but ultimately aided his development as an actor.
Speaking to Time Out about his first film role, DiCaprio recalled: “I was 15 years old, and I remember every single detail…Everything was so new to me. Watching Robert De Niro on set, seeing his dedication, was one of the most influential experiences of my life”.
In another interview with Deadline, the Titanic actor remembered the “culture shock” he had experienced on set as he was plunged into the “big leagues” of cinema with some of the industry’s most celebrated contemporaries.
DiCaprio remembered that director Michael Caton-Jones had apologised to him some years after shooting This Boy’s Life, saying De Niro was “so mean to you when you were little.” The young actor retorted: “Are you crazy? [De Niro was] the greatest big brother I could ever have during my first giant cinematic process. [He] talked me through everything. [He] told me all the fundamental basics”. Prior to This Boy’s Life, his experience had been limited to a handful of commercials and smaller television roles, most notably the sitcom Parenthood.
Further detailing De Niro’s pivotal impact on his maturation as an actor, DiCaprio remembered his tense audition with the revered Taxi Driver star, which involved a heated argument over a mustard jar, as seen in the scene below.
“[De Niro] ’s like, ‘Is it empty, is it empty?’ and I just stood up and threw my chair down, or something, and screamed at him, ‘No, it’s not empty,’” the actor recalled, adding: “And then Bob had this smirk on his face, and just started slowly busting up, laughing in my face. And then he looked at everybody else, and the whole room started laughing”.
As DiCaprio lamented, under the assumption that he had blown his big chance in the film industry, De Niro taught the young actor how to contain his emotions and deliver a quality performance. Speaking fondly of his mentor, DiCaprio continued, “I remember how seriously he took everything, how focused he was, how he would play with… he’d just sit there, and you’d have to sometimes realise you were in the scene because you’re just watching him do an improv riff. You’re like, ‘Holy shit; I’m on camera, that’s right.’ You had to remember to be in the moment”.
Watch the intense mustard jar fight scene between De Niro and DiCaprio from This Boy’s Life below.
