The one director Leonardo DiCaprio would always give everything for: “You go for broke”
He is one of the most gifted actors of his generation, but Leonardo DiCaprio must have days on set when he is simply phoning it in. Like any supermarket assistant, restaurant server or bartender, there are undoubtedly days when merely showing up on time and reporting for duty feels like more than you are capable of providing. However, for the Academy Award-winning actor, there is one filmmaker who always inspired him to give it his all.
Alejandro G. Iñárritu was the man behind the camera and in the director’s chair when DiCaprio picked up his greatest achievement—the Oscar for ‘Best Actor’. While the duo share an uncanny connection, it is another moviemaker who inspires DiCaprio to arrive on set ready to give it all: Martin Scorsese.
Considering DiCaprio has worked with the best directors the world has ever known, it’s quite some feat that he openly admits he is always ready to give it his all for Scorsese. Sharing credits with Steven Spielberg and Baz Lurhman and arguably collaborating on his finest on-screen moment with the direction of Quentin Tarantino in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, DiCaprio’s filmography is unmatched in the industry.
However, one name appears more often than most: Martin Scorsese. The Aviator, Shutter Island, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Departed, and the recent Killers of the Flower Moon are all collaborations between the two men that deserve to be on your watchlist this year. But their first working relationship would prove to be the moment their love for one another truly blossomed. Starring next to Daniel Day-Lewis in the epic Gangs of New York, this would arguably be the role that firmly flung DiCaprio out of the teen heartthrob pigeonhole his turn in Titanic had seemingly carved out for him.
It was a seminal moment for DiCaprio. On the production, he witnessed two of the finest creators in their desired environments, least of all the wondrous talent of Daniel Day-Lewis in his role as Bill The Butcher: “Being able to work with Daniel Day-Lewis, who’s such an inspiration to so many young actors and who is so committed to his roles and his characters, was a huge thrill for me. It was such a great experience working with him.”
The shoot was a notoriously long and difficult one. However, working with the two men bolstered the energy and confidence of the young DiCaprio. He told BBC: “You know, at the eight month mark, Marty asked me: ‘How are you kid? Are you all right? Are you tired?’ I said: ‘No. I’m ready to go another nine months’. And that’s how I really felt.'”
The truth is, working with Scorsese was a dream come true: “I could go into great length and great detail. You know it was everything I expected and more. It was an unbelievable experience,” DiCaprio added. “There are very few filmmakers whose films you want to watch repeatedly, over and over again, because of the acute attention to detail and how immersed you feel in the world he creates.”
That willingness to be a part of something fundamentally focused towards great filmmaking meant DiCaprio was always ready to go the extra yard for his director: “You know, working with him, you just go for broke every time.” However, the filmmaker also offered a strong hand for the growing actor: “But at the end of the day, his word is golden, and you have to trust that what he sees for your character is going to be perfect for what’s on film. I’m so proud of this movie, and I think it really captures what we wanted to say.”
Later, years after their first collaboration and with more titles shared between the two men, DiCaprio would heap yet more praise on the man he affectionately refers to as ‘Marty’, telling Entertainment Weekly: “As far as Marty is concerned, what can one even say about him besides the fact he’s truly a national treasure. And he’s still continuing to make daring, independent films even though they’re massive in budget. He is a seminal artist of this entire era of cinematic history, and I can’t begin to articulate how much I’ve learned from him.”
It’s easy to see how the career of DiCaprio was infinitely lifted by the experience he had in Gangs of New York. Working in the same set as Daniel Day-Lewis and Martin Scorsese would allow any young actor to see that the pathway to true greatness was through complete dedication to your role. Ever since that moment, it is exactly what DiCaprio has shown his work.
