Leonardo DiCaprio: Esquire Magazine March 2010

Leonardo DiCaprio covers Esquire’s “The Essentials” issue. He can be seen next in Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island.

Here’s what he had to say:

On fame after Titanic:

It wasn’t the era of penetrating Internet paparazzi that we have now. But my name wasn’t me anymore. I was sort of this thing. Kate felt it, too. But a lot of the attention was on me because of the teenage girls who repeatedly went to see the movie. I had the blond hair, and I was Jack Dawson, this heroic figure. So I set up everything in my personal life to rebel against that image in order to strip it down. I had a lot of fun stripping it down. But ultimately, that knocked me a few rungs down the ladder.

On taking risks and growing up:

What you risk just to have thrills when you’re in your twenties is absurd. It’s all part of that process of doing things that are daring to be accepted by your peers — and it’s absolutely insane. You can enter a never-ending vapid hole trying to catch the next exciting moment without ever stopping to appreciate it. It can be a never-ending process of chasing something that isn’t there. I know it’s a cliché, but I’m happy to be alive. I went skydiving and my chutes didn’t open. Two of them.

On Meryl Streep being the greatest actor in the world:

When I sat in the theater, it was, Oh, my God, she’s the only person who looks completely natural. She’s the only person who has actually made her character into a real human being who would have an erratic moment because those erratic moments are what make you more human. That was a huge moment of discovery. Meryl may be the greatest actor in the world.

Posted: February 11th, 2010 under Magazine Covers.
Tags: Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese

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