14 DAY TRIAL // There must be little doubt that what launched Leonardo DiCaprio’s career was his part in the 1997 box office hit “Titanic,” though critics had noticed his talent long before that. What with the media frenzy that started after the release of the film, DiCaprio has managed to keep a rather low profile, as he has also done do this day. In the latest issue of Esquire magazine, the actor opens a little about the things that make him tick.
It’s clear that one thing that DiCaprio takes pleasure in doing is talking about acting. He was never the kind to freely discuss details of his personal life or the projects he might have for the future, after all, so those looking to find out how things stand in this sense are better off without this issue of Esquire. What DiCaprio does talk about though is what his life was like before “Titanic,” why he thinks Meryl Streep is the greatest actress in the world and how his extraordinary working relationship with Kate Winslet also translates into a beautiful friendship.
“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.” the actor says of working on “Titanic” and what happened afterwards.
Leonardo continues to hold Kate in the same high regard as back in the day when they first worked together. The two reunited on the big screen in “Revolutionary Road,” directed by Winslet’s husband, Sam Mendes, and, as the actor explains, it was a very enjoyable experience, even when they had to do what could have been an awkward love scene. She’s not the only one to have thus gained DiCaprio’s respect, as he considers Meryl Streep the most extraordinary actress 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,” the actor says. The full interview will become available with the March 2010 issue, out on 16 February.