The D-list star who hates Leonardo DiCaprio with a passion: “He’s not a good actor”
Having spent 30 years as a fixture on the screen and evolved from a child star into a heartthrob before settling on his current status as one of his generation’s finest talents, there aren’t many people in or outside of Hollywood who’d call Leonardo DiCaprio a bad actor.
He’s got an Academy Award win from seven nominations, three Golden Globes, and a Bafta lining his trophy cabinet, never mind that of the nine movies he’s starred in since Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island was released in February 2010, seven have been shortlisted for ‘Best Picture’ at the Oscars and one of those that didn’t – Clint Eastwood’s J Edgar – landed a nod in the corresponding category at the Golden Globes.
DiCaprio doesn’t just make widely acclaimed films; he almost exclusively makes widely acclaimed films in which he can always be relied on to give a performance that’s never less than solid. He’s been heralded as one of the best in the business for a long time and with very good reason, and only somebody who’s either stupid or rampantly jealous would even try to state the case for him being terrible at his job.
Step forward, Stephen Baldwin, then. The youngest and arguably least relevant of the industry dynasty, who boasts such classics as Turkish horror film Magi, animated comedy Dino Time, creature feature Shark in Venice among his filmography, and someone who had the gall to step into Paul Newman’s shoes to lead straight-to-video comedy sequel Slap Shot 2: Breaking the Ice, thinks he sucks.
“Leonardo DiCaprio, he’s not a good actor,” Baldwin said, laying his cards on the table. “I think it takes a certain amount of depth, and I think it takes a certain amount of presence, and the greatest actors of all time were when you watched them, they affected you. The business says DiCaprio is great because he’s given great roles. He’s done some great films, but he’s not a great actor.”
Baldwin, who, lest it be forgotten, was nominated for a Razzie for ‘Worst Supporting Actor’ in The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, seems to believe that DiCaprio has spent his entire career falling upwards by landing integral roles in a succession of top-quality motion pictures despite having a complete lack of dramatic heft or acting ability.
Bringing another Oscar winner into the mix, Baldwin explained that “he’s seen as a great actor, not because he’s Gary Oldman, not because he’s some guy who moved away from the business and did Broadway for ten years to learn the craft on a deeper level.” Sure, plenty of all-timers have plied their trade on the stage before conquering the screen, but it’s not a requirement.
Will DiCaprio be losing any sleep over the fact 25% of the Baldwin brothers think he’s shite? Probably not, and it’s not like the two of them will ever be travelling in the same circles anyway.
