The phone call that cost Leonardo DiCaprio an Oscar-nominated role: “Don’t do it”
When Leonardo DiCaprio won an Oscar for ‘Best Actor’ in 2016, it was hard to tell whether it was actually for his performance in The Revenant or whether it was out of Hollywood’s desperation for him to win one.
By that point, he’d racked up five Oscar nods without a single win – and for the 21st-century poster boy of cinema, it was almost as tragic as Jack snuffing it in Titanic. Performances like What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and The Aviator probably had more of a shout for the statue, but by the time 2016 rolled around, the appetite for Leo to finally get his due was absolutely off the charts. If any of the other nominees had pipped him to it, there would’ve been a proper kick-off.
In many ways, The Revenant felt like the safest bet for DiCaprio to bag his first Oscar. It was an immersive and physical project that existed on the shoulders of its lead actor. More than anything, it was the intensely laborious nature of the portrayal that made it obvious Oscar bait, and so it was no surprise that DiCaprio jumped at the chance to be involved.
However, it would have been an ironic twist of fate if Michael Fassbender were to have won ‘Best Actor’ in 2016 for his performance as Apple founder Steve Jobs. Because Steve Jobs was a biopic that DiCaprio turned down after Jobs’ widow, Laurene, phoned DiCaprio as well as other prospective candidates, to sternly warn them against accepting the role.
While Laurene Jobs herself doesn’t feature in the movie, Jobs’ daughter, Lisa Brennan-Jobs, from another relationship, plays a key role in the film and acts as somewhat of a lynchpin in exploring the flawed nature of Jobs’ character. Because the film wasn’t a puff piece by any means. It was an insight into the mind of a tortured genius whose relentless pursuit of greatness came at the cost of his relationships and those around him.
So naturally, there were pushbacks against this film, but none quite as proactive as Laurene’s. Apple itself opposed the film, but simply pulled back from any cooperation, whereas Laurene took to her phone and scared away any prospective castmate from joining the project.
“Since the very beginning, Laurene Jobs has been trying to kill this movie, OK?” the film’s director, Danny Boyle, explained. “Laurene Jobs called Leo DiCaprio and said, ‘Don’t do it.’ Laurene Jobs called Christian Bale and said, ‘Don’t [do it].’ “
Sony executives confirmed the rumours by explaining, “She reached out; she had a strong desire not to have the movie made. But we said, ‘We’re going to move forward.’ My understanding is, she did call one or two of the actors.”
While DiCaprio and Bale were suitably scared off the project, Fassbender bought into the vision and got an Oscar nod for his inconvenience. However, he was pipped to the post by a worn-out DiCaprio who decided to go into the cold and dark depths of Alberta, Canada, to earn his statue. While he was right in doing so, there’s no knowing whether it proved a more difficult adversary than a scorned Laurene Jobs.
