Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio has worked with some of the most prolific filmmakers in the industry over the years. From James Cameron to Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg to Quentin Tarantino, DiCaprio has proved that he is one of the most popular and bankable choices with a perfect blend of good looks and talent.
In 2011, the Titanic actor collaborated with another giant in the industry, Clint Eastwood, for the biopic J. Edgar. The film which traced the journey of the first director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover, saw DiCaprio get into the skin of the character physically and emotionally. The Oscar winner also showed his passion for the project by taking a considerably low paycheck for the film.
Leonardo DiCaprio Accepted J. Edgar For A Surprisingly Small Salary
Leonardo DiCaprio is no stranger to period dramas or biopics. The actor has had a flair for portraying real-life characters in films like The Aviator, The Wolf Of Wall Street, Catch Me If You Can, and the 2011 Clint Eastwood film J. Edgar. While DiCaprio’s A-list position in Hollywood has ensured that the star has received substantial sums for his roles, The Revenant actor surprisingly slashed his usual payday by a considerable amount for J. Edgar, taking home only $2 million as opposed to $20 million for the film. Clint Eastwood spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the reasons behind DiCaprio’s selfless decision.
“He could have made a lot of money just doing spectacle movies with all kinds of CGI. But he wants to vary his career, like I’ve always looked to vary mine as a director.”
Eastwood praised The Aviator actor’s passion for cinema and the desire to do memorable roles that outweighed the monetary factors. DiCaprio went on to give it his all for the film including spending hours in the make-up chair to get the look of the character to perfection.
Leonard DiCaprio Took Method Acting To New Heights For The Revenant
Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar was a testament to the fact that Leonardo DiCaprio is a star who would go to any lengths to internalize a character. The actor has been famously known to use the method acting technique in many of his roles to ensure that he perfectly brought to life the various nuances of the character. His Oscar-winning turn in The Revenant was an example of this passion. DiCaprio lived and breathed the intense character of Hugh Glass in the 2015 drama by resorting to extreme measures to ace the role. Speaking to Yahoo! Entertainment, the celebrity said,
“I can name 30 or 40 sequences that were some of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do. Whether it’s going in and out of frozen rivers, or sleeping in animal carcasses, or what I ate on set. [I was] enduring freezing cold and possible hypothermia constantly.”
From eating bison to putting his body through extreme torture on set, Leonardo DiCaprio ensured that he gave it his all to portray the avenging character and turned in a powerful performance that would ultimately earn him his first well-deserved Oscar.