Leonardo DiCaprio Reveals What the Most Frightening Thing About Making Movies Is — ‘You’re Powerless to That’

It may come as a surprise that an actor as talented and experienced as Leonardo DiCaprio still gets nervous when making movies, but according to the Oscar-winning actor, that’s very much the case.

In a resurfaced interview promoting The Great Gatsby, the iconic actor shared what the scariest thing about making movies is for him. 

Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the world’s most successful actors 

With over 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry, DiCaprio has seen and done pretty much everything. He’s starred in numerous box office hits such as Titanic and Inception, with the former earning over $2 billion worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.

DiCaprio has also garnered considerable acclaim for his performances. He’s earned a ton of accolades over the course of his career, including two Golden Globes and one Academy Award. He captured his elusive Oscar for Best Actor after his chilling performance in The Revenant.

With the combined box office success of his films and his stellar performances, DiCaprio has carved a niche for himself. He’s remained one of Hollywood’s most bankable and sought after actors, and has a net worth of over $260 million, according to Insider.

Leonardo DiCaprio is frightened and excited by the lack of control when making movies 

DiCaprio’s long history of experience in the entertainment industry gives him unshakeable confidence. He’s grown a tough skin and doesn’t allow the opinions of critics to affect him, according to a past interview with 60 Minutes Australia. 

“Look, I strive to be the best actor I can be, and whether I’ve achieved that is always up to the audience and critics to decide,” DiCaprio said. “I don’t have any power over that. And that’s the one thing about making movies that’s always frightening and exhilarating, is that you can go into it with the best possible intent, work as hard as you possibly can, and people for whatever reason may just disconnect with the movie. And that’s—and you’re powerless to that. You really are.”

Even though DiCaprio acknowledges his powerlessness over the outcome, he adds that he still does all he can to ensure the film’s success.

“All you can do is really show up on set and, you know, work as hard as you possibly can, and that’s—that I can say that I do.” 

Leonardo DiCaprio remains humble, despite his success

DiCaprio is widely regarded as one the best actor of his generation, and one of the best of all time. His numerous accolades and ability to command strong box office performances are proof of that. However, DiCaprio remains humble and says that he would never call himself “elite.”

“I would never say something like that,” DiCaprio said. 

Despite his superstar status, DiCaprio still felt nervous about playing Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby, the movie he was promoting at the time of the interview. In the same interview, he revealed that he knew everyone had their own expectations for the film. 

“You know, everyone has their own connection with this book, and so you’re almost setting yourself up for disaster in a lot of ways.”

As the box office would show, DiCaprio had nothing to worry about. The Great Gatsby grossed over $353 million, according to Box Office Mojo.