Leonardo DiCaprio isn’t an A-list star for nothing. In addition to being a global household name with undeniable box-office appeal, he has worked with many acclaimed directors, most notably Martin Scorsese.
Now, having teamed up for the first time with Paul Thomas Anderson—widely regarded as one of the most preeminent writer-directors of his generation—for his new film One Battle After Another, the iconic Titanic actor revealed how he manages to approach Hollywood’s most sought-after directors.
How Did Leonardo DiCaprio Manage to Work with Many Acclaimed Directors?
In his more than three decades in the entertainment business, DiCaprio has collaborated with some of the most acclaimed filmmakers in the industry.
Besides Scorsese, other notable directors he has worked with include Christopher Nolan (Inception), Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), Steven Spielberg (Catch Me If You Can), and James Cameron (Titanic), among others. So, how did he do it?
“Luck, and I guess the perseverance of just letting them know that you want to work with them, some day, when the time is right,” he told The Hollywood Reporter during his new film’s premiere in Los Angeles. “That’s what I’ve been doing; that’s how I met Marty [Scorsese] when I was young. I just let him know that if he’s ready, I’m ready.”
The actor then expressed his love for movies as an “art form.” Admitting that he’s a “cinephile,” he also confessed that he enjoys watching films he considers “rare” and that “rise to the top.”
“There are certain filmmakers who have a multitude of those films — Paul is one of them, Quentin [Tarantino] is one of them, Marty’s one of them,” he added. “So I just let them know I’m ready, and I’m game if they are.”
What is Leonardo DiCaprio’s New Movie One Battle After Another About?
An action-thriller, One Battle After Another is based on the 1990 novel Vineland by Thomas Pynchon.
The film follows DiCaprio’s character, Bob Ferguson, a washed-up revolutionary living off the grid. But when his teenage daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti), goes missing, he must spring into action once again.
He won’t do it alone, however—he enlists the help of his fellow former radicals to find his beloved child.
Speaking about working with Anderson, DiCaprio revealed that the collaboration had been decades in the making after he turned down Anderson’s 1997 film Boogie Nights to star in Titanic.
While Titanic was a massive hit, reaching the billion-dollar mark at the box office and becoming one of the highest-grossing films of all time, DiCaprio called passing on Anderson’s film his “biggest regret.”
After nearly 30 years, though, the two have finally teamed up for One Battle After Another.
“Any time that he asks, you work with P.T.A. This guy is like one of the great visionary filmmakers of my generation,” DiCaprio said. “His films still intrigue me to this day; I still talk about The Master, Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood, Magnolia—these are films that will last for generations, so you jump at the opportunity to work with Paul.”
One Battle After Another also stars Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Regina Hall, and Teyana Taylor. It’s set to hit theaters on September 26.
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