Leonardo DiCaprio has revealed his biggest career regret in a candid interview with director Paul Thomas Anderson for Esquire magazine. The 50-year-old actor confessed that turning down the acclaimed 1997 film Boogie Nights remains his most significant professional disappointment.
The confession carried particular weight as DiCaprio was speaking directly to Anderson, who directed Boogie Nights. "My biggest regret is not doing Boogie Nights," DiCaprio said. "It was a profound movie of my generation. I can't imagine anyone but Mark [Wahlberg] in it."
DiCaprio was forced to decline the role of Eddie Adams, who becomes porn star Dirk Diggler, because he was already committed to Titanic. Anderson had chosen DiCaprio as his top pick for the lead role after being impressed with his performance in The Basketball Diaries.
Masterpiece recognition
The actor's regret deepened after finally seeing the completed film. "When I finally got to see that movie, I just thought it was a masterpiece," he told Anderson. "It's ironic that you're the person asking that question, but it's true."
Mark Wahlberg ultimately took the role that DiCaprio couldn't accept, leading a star-studded cast including Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. According to The Independent, Burt Reynolds initially distanced himself from the film and fired his agent for securing the role, though he later called it "extraordinary" before his death in 2018.
New collaboration decades later
The pair have finally managed to work together on One Battle After Another, set for release on September 26. The Independent reports that the project has been 20 years in the making and follows former revolutionaries who reunite to rescue a missing daughter.
DiCaprio also revealed which of his films he occasionally revisits, despite rarely watching his own work. The Aviator holds special significance for him as it marked his evolution from hired actor to creative collaborator.
Career-defining moment
DiCaprio had carried a book about Howard Hughes for ten years and almost made The Aviator with Michael Mann before bringing it to Martin Scorsese. "It was the first time as an actor I got to feel implicitly part of the production, rather than just an actor hired to play a role," he explained.
The Oscar winner, who finally claimed the Best Actor award for The Revenant in 2016, described The Aviator as "such a key part of my growing up in this industry and taking on a role of a real collaborator for the first time."
Sources used: "Metro", "Independent" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
