At first Impression I thought that this interview would focus strictly upon DiCaprio's opinions on his new film, The Wolf of Wall Street -- how they filmed it, hours they spent creating the film, casting process, etc. However, to my surprise, in this interview DiCaprio incorporated details from his previous experiences in past films as well as his anticipated future in the film industry. Several times he mentioned his experience as a young actor at 15 years old, starring in This Boy's Life (1993) with Robert De Niro and how the film was emotionally impacted as the beginning of his career and any work pursed afterwards would need to live up to that same opportunity.
Leonardo DiCaprio is known for portraying characters that often struggle and never seem fully satisfied with their "American dreamed" success. Although many artists in the film industry attempt to diversify their work, they fail because they often participate in works that do not correctly suit them. However, in comparison, DiCaprio always seems drawn to similar characters and messages of films, yet his works remain fresh and mysterious. In an interview with KCRW DiCaprio explains, "I think that we’re all beholden to a certain time period in our life when we're incredibly affected by art. I think when I was 15 years old and I got the opportunity to do This Boy’s Life with De Niro I kind of needed to catch up with all of cinema’s history. Since then,once you catch that bug, it’s this addiction of trying to emulate something that good in your lifetime and I don’t think that’s ever something that’s quenched. As an artist you always compare to the gods before you and you say, 'Well it’s never that good. I can never be that good,' so it keeps driving you forward." DiCaprio explains that similar to his characters, he is never fully satisfied with his work and therefore continues to participate in works that speak to him in order to grow in the film industry and fulfill the personalities of characters he finds himself sharing similarities with.
Prior to listening to this interview I was unaware that DiCaprio was also also a film producer in addition to a well respected actor. In the film The Wolf of Wall Street, DiCaprio did not only play the lead role as Jordan Belfort but he also participated as one of the film's producers. The film itself portrays the life of stockbroker Jordan Belfort and guides the audience through his uprisings, downfalls, and everything in between. Jordan Belfort was a penny stockbroker that participated in crimes, corruptions, sex, and drugs and rose up to be a wealthy individual who eventually was left with a pathetic life in the end. As the film producer and lead actor, DiCaprio describes his intention with The Wolf of Wall Street as, " ... capturing something that is in the very fabric of our culture. What we’re ultimately trying to portray is something that is ramping out there in the world we live in, but as film makers what we wanted to explore is what’s so enticing and fun about it... so interesting that makes somebody not look at the wake of their destruction." As audience members, we don't realize the amount of pressure that goes into making a two to three hour film. We often mistake the purpose of the anticipated film to focus on our entertainment standards as (usually) unexperienced audience members rather than the higher standards of the knowledgable creators.
Nearing the ending of the interview DiCaprio states, "Should we just do films about heroes? Should we just do films about Ghandi? To me those are the most influential films that I’ve ever seen-- those films that explore the darker nature of who we are. In a context that isn’t judging them, it’s exploring human nature. This guy [Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street], like I keep saying,Jordan is different now but he represented during that time who these people are. Not that the film is trying to be expositional about any kind of a message but if you’re not honest about it and your betrayal then you shouldn’t even be doing the movie." Through this, DiCaprio explains the passion and power it takes to be successful in the film industry. You need to be unique because you can't please everyone. You need to evolve and
As the star of many successful films, Leonardo DiCaprio is constantly acknowledging his big break as Toby in This Boy's Life (1995), staring beside well respected actor, Robert De Niro. DiCaprio admires his 15 year old self and claims his following works are modeled after the breaking opportunity he was given at that young age. DiCaprio also noted that he determined that his success would not be wasted on expensive cars and big houses but that throughout his career he would continue to "ride out" his accomplishments. By first judgement of DiCaprio's "privileged" looks and ultimate success, many might think of him as a cocky celebrity that solely relied on his parents' money to put him through expensive programs as a child; however, DiCaprio describes his growth as an actor to be a humbling and hardworking experience. He acknowledges the intense competition that he participated in when landing professional roles as well as the difficulty it takes as both an actor and producer to relay the intended meaning of the film towards audience members rather than focusing on the entertainment purposes. In this interview, DiCaprio goes further beyond the mentioning of The Wolf of Wall Street and gives the reader a chance to respect the contribution and dedication of an experienced artist who has worked his way up in the industry for over 20 years.
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