Legendary performer Leonardo DiCaprio still regrets turning down a movie – even though the film he chose instead made him a megastar.
The Hollywood veteran, who won an Academy Award for The Revenant in 2015, has shared his grief at passing on the film in a recent interview.
Though DiCaprio, who has also appeared in Django Unchained, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Killers of the Flower Moon, would go on to feature in the one of the highest grossing films of all time, he still regrets not taking the job.
Fans were puzzled by the comments – as the movie he shot instead was the award-winning Titanic, which he starred in alongside Kate Winslet.
Speaking with director Paul Thomas Anderson, DiCaprio shared his regret over not featuring in one of his films – Boogie Nights.
He told Anderson: “I’ll say it even though you’re here: My biggest regret is not doing Boogie Nights. It was a profound movie of my generation. I can’t imagine anyone but Mark [Wahlberg] in it. When I finally got to see that movie, I just thought it was a masterpiece. It’s ironic that you’re the person asking that question, but it’s true.”
What DiCaprio did not mention is he turned down Boogie Nights to appear in Titanic. The Anderson and DiCaprio crossover would have to wait over 25 years, with the pair working on One Battle After Another.
But movie fans find it hilarious that DiCaprio could have regrets over featuring in one of the most successful and acclaimed movies in cinema history.
One fan wrote on X: “Very funny when you consider the movie he chose over this was Titanic. For the record Titanic was the best choice for Leo, but it derailed the public’s image of him as a ‘serious actor’ which he worked tirelessly to achieve ever since.”
Another joked: “Imagine if it was Mark Wahlberg in Titanic and Leonardo in Boogie Nights .. I think it would have been horrible but mildly interesting.”
Other fans have agreed that both DiCaprio and Mark Wahlberg, the latter starring in Boogie Nights, received the right roles at the time.
One fan of both films wrote: “As much as DiCaprio is a far better actor than Wahlberg, both roles definitely went to the right person.” Another understood DiCaprio’s grief over rejecting Boogie Nights, adding: “Well, Boogie Nights is better.”
A third added: “Boogie Nights is a better movie than Titanic but I’m pretty sure being in Titanic is like the single greatest career win any actor has ever had ever.”
Some have hailed DiCaprio for continuing on with interesting projects long after Titanic and resisting the urge to appear in any “dumb superhero” movies.
The fan praised the Oscar winner, writing: “Leo is the real deal because he loves acting as an art form. Titanic is probably the most mainstream movie he ever did lol, no romcoms, no dumb superhero s***, no dumb comedies. Just win after win.”