Why Leonardo DiCaprio Gets ‘Nauseated’ When He Hears This From Others in the Industry
Leonardo DiCaprio remains one of Hollywood’s biggest celebs since his career-making turn as Jack Dawson in the 1997 epic Titanic. Earning an Oscar in 2015 for his role in The Revenant, DiCaprio most recently starred alongside Brad Pitt in the 2019 film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.
The Academy Award-winning actor started in showbiz on the small screen, appearing in a popular ABC sitcom. Thankful for his good fortune over the years, DiCaprio apparently has a distaste for certain comments made by industry insiders.
From ‘Growing Pains’ gig to the big screen
Growing up in a rough section of Los Angeles, DiCaprio saw acting as his ticket out of his environment and would plead with his parents to take him on auditions.
“I would push my parents and they would take me on auditions,” DiCaprio told Deadline in 2016. “There were casting directors that wouldn’t accept me because I was break dancer, or I had the wrong haircut. But it really was me pushing my parents to give me some sort of way out of the world that I was in.”
After guest-starring on Roseanne and Parenthood, DiCaprio landed the role of Luke Brower on the ABC sitcom Growing Pains in 1991. Staying on the show for a year, the actor won a lead part in the 1993 film This Boy’s Life where he starred with Ellen Barkin and the legendary Robert DeNiro.
Leo the Grateful
In a later interview with Deadline, DiCaprio was asked about his big break in This Boy’s Life noting that some actors are often unable to take film roles due to contract stipulations. The Academy Award winner is still grateful for the generosity he was given as a teenager.
“Not only do I look back and say I’m lucky, I think it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” DiCaprio said in 2019. “I, at the time, didn’t realize how thankful I should be to the people of that show, including the late Alan Thicke, along with the rest of the cast and producers who championed me to have the ability to go do that movie.”
Revealing that he was still under contract on Growing Pains, DiCaprio openly shared his gratitude for the kindness he was shown from the cast and crew of the sitcom.
“I had a couple more episodes to do, contractually,” The Aviator star explained. “Here they let this 15-year-old go do this film that I was lucky enough to get. I mean, are you kidding me? Without that opportunity, I don’t know. I don’t know what my career would’ve been, so I am thankful at how g*ddamn lucky I was. And appreciative, too. I mean, as an adult you say, g*ddamn am I appreciative.”
Don’t complain around Leonardo DiCaprio
When DiCaprio took on the role of frontiersman Hugh Glass for Alejandro Iñárritu’s 2015 film The Revenant, he knew there would be challenges within the 1823 wilderness setting.
“Every single day of this movie was difficult. It was the most difficult film I’ve ever done,” DiCaprio told Wired in 2015. “You’ll see, when you see the film—the endurance that we all had to have is very much up on the screen.”
Despite extreme weather conditions and grueling physical demands, the Titanic star refused to gripe about his experience and has a strong distaste when others in the industry complain.
Why Leonardo DiCaprio Was Chosen Over Matthew McConaughey for ‘Titanic’
“I’m not going to give you a massive song and dance about the difficulties,” he told Deadline. “I get nauseated when I hear people talk about how difficult the industry is. That makes me nauseous because we’re so f*cking lucky to do what we do.”
The Wolf of Wall Street actor apparently takes movie-making – difficulties and all – in stride and keeps his career in perspective.
“Yeah, that movie was an exhausting experience, and then you do the whole campaign afterward, all that stuff,” DiCaprio explained. “And then you go find what speaks to you. That’s all. … Nothing really that profound at the end of the day.”
