Leonardo DiCaprio’s decadeslong career features some of cinema’s most iconic titles, but the actor recently revealed that there is one film he regrets passing on.
In an interview with Esquire, in which filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson also participated, the 50-year-old Oscar winner shared that he turned down Anderson’s 1997 drama, “Boogie Nights.” And while the decision ultimately allowed him to take on “Titanic,” it was a decision DiCaprio said he regretted.
The topic came about during a discussion with Anderson, who asked DiCaprio if he had “any regrets.”
“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,” he said.
“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.”
For years, rumors have suggested that DiCaprio was Anderson’s top pick to play Dirk Diggler, the ambitious porn star eventually portrayed by Mark Wahlberg. Reflecting on the decision, DiCaprio admitted he still feels some regret for turning it down but said he also “can’t imagine anyone else” bringing the character to life the way Wahlberg did.
“Boogie Nights,” which takes a vivid look at the 1970s porn industry, helped establish Anderson as a major director following his understated 1996 debut, “Hard Eight.” Filmed at the same time as “Titanic,” the movie featured a standout cast including Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly, Heather Graham, and Burt Reynolds, whose performance earned him an Oscar nomination, according to the Independent.
Reports suggest that Reynolds initially distanced himself from “Boogie Nights” and even fired his agent for landing him the part. Yet, in the years before his passing in September 2018, he described the film as “extraordinary.”
Anderson went on to direct films including “Magnolia” (1999), “There Will Be Blood” (2007), and “Phantom Thread” (2017). His latest project, “One Battle After Another,” marks the first time he has worked with DiCaprio. After two decades in development, the film follows a revolutionary who turns to his comrades for help in tracking down his missing daughter.
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