This is one instance that most men do not see themselves in: just like feminist campaigners, Leonardo DiCaprio also went through an objectifying experience in showbiz, which almost made him quit acting for good and leave the rest of his life isolated from the world.

Speaking of his 1997 blockbuster movie, 'Titanic', the actor recently said that the media frenzy over him was so huge that it almost left him completely disheartened as to starring in another movie ever again. Truth be told, at the time, there was a genuine 'Leo' phenomenon going on and there still are people who are willing to look at him as 'that guy from "Titanic"'.

Now on a promotion tour for his latest project, 'The Departed', directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg and Martin Sheen, Leo also spared a couple of minutes to talk about what 'Titanic' meant for him.

'It was pretty disheartening to be objectified like that [being called 'another piece of cute meat']. I wanted to stop acting for a little bit. It changed my life in a lot of ways, but at the same time, I can't say that it didn't give me opportunities. It made me, for the first time, in control of my career.', DiCaprio told 'Newsweek' magazine, out on newsstands today.

The only thing that stopped him from retiring at that early age was his love for acting. Leo explained that there is no other thing in this world that appeals to him more than getting into character, shooting for a movie and working with great names in the industry. 'There's no other art form in the world that affects me more. There's nothing that I walk away from feeling transformed by the way I do with cinema', he added.

DiCaprio can now be seen in 'The Departed', a movie that is already generating great Oscar buzz, both for him and for legendary director Martin Scorsese.