The two movies Leonardo DiCaprio “held on to forever”
Leonardo DiCaprio has a seemingly endless list of cherished movies. Although the esteemed actor admits he will always feel like a Hollywood outsider, his films and characters have touched many, from playing the lovable Arnie Grape in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and heartthrob Jack Dawson in Titanic to his starring role alongside Tom Hanks as the notorious con artist in Catch Me If You Can.
As Gilbert Grape’s brother, Arnie, DiCaprio delivered a performance that balanced humour and emotional depth, earning his first Oscar nomination. However, despite high hopes among fans during the 1994 awards ceremony, the 19-year-old actor didn’t secure the ‘Best Supporting Actor’ award, losing to the seasoned Tommy Lee Jones, recognised for his remarkable portrayal in Andrew Davis’ The Fugitive.
By 1996, however, DiCaprio showcased burgeoning talent, taking on the lead in Baz Luhrmann’s contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Only a year later, merely six years after his debut, DiCaprio starred in the film that launched him to global stardom — Cameron’s monumental romance, Titanic, breaking box office records worldwide.
Today, he rightfully holds the status of a cinematic icon, a culmination of extensive collaborations pivotal to his growth in the industry. From partnering with Robert De Niro in This Boy’s Life to appearing alongside Meryl Streep in Marvin’s Room, John Malkovich in The Man in the Iron Mask, and Daniel Day-Lewis in Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York, these collaborations have significantly shaped his trajectory.
When considering his own personal favourites, DiCaprio holds two films particularly dear. In 2004, DiCaprio featured in Scorsese’s biopic of Howard Hughes, The Aviator. Later, he assumed a leading role in the director’s 2013 film, The Wolf of Wall Street, prioritising these two movies for their cinematic release. As he put it: “[The Wolf of Wall Street] and The Aviator were the two films that I just held onto forever because I knew they had to be made,” he told Deadline. “I held onto those two forever, man.”
He also revealed that managing schedules and adapting scripts posed a challenge for both films, yet he remained steadfast in his commitment to neither project. “It was, I think, an eight- to nine-year process to get Aviator up and running through the different drafts, and then finally Marty got on board. And again with Wolf of Wall Street,” DiCaprio explained. “It kept getting pushed. He had another thing to do, I had another thing to do. But I knew that he was the only guy to do it, and I waited, and I waited, and I waited. I’m so thankful that I got to do both of them.”
Even now, after featuring in Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, the actor’s relationship with the esteemed director remains unwavering. In fact, the star recently labelled Scorsese as a “national treasure”, adding that “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.”
