Star interview: Leonardo DiCaprio
Posterboy was once. With the biopic "The Wolf of Wall Street" Leonardo DiCaprio (39) finally climbs into the ranks of the mighty Hollywood.
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Giant excitement prevails in the Hyde Room of the "The London" hotel: Press agents whisper, journalists hand over the handle and a bodyguard watches in the background. The occasion is the new film by Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Wolf of Wall Street", for which he gives one of his rare interviews here in New York.
How Leo has grown from teenage heat to superstar, we show here!
The true story of the rise and fall of stockbroker Jordan Belfort is his fifth collaboration with director Martin Scorsese - and after three nominations, many find that Leo has finally earned the Oscar. The handsome boy, whom JOY correspondent Frances Schoenberger has known for 20 years, gives her a kiss on the cheek in greeting. Very charming and kind.
He has become a good looking man. Handsome. Smart. Restrained as to his privacy. He prefers to talk passionately about his films.
JOY: In your new biopic, you're not just the lead actor, you're the producer too. How did this dual role come about?
Leonardo DiCaprio: Brad Pitt and I fought for book rights eight years ago - I won. Then I developed the script, made casting decisions, won Martin Scorsese for the project, and got the funding going. When the shooting began, I then turned off the producer hat and acted only as an actor. Honestly, that was the most exhausting movie I ever did.
Why did you put so much energy into the story of a corrupt, power-hungry stock market shark?
Jordan Belfort did not pack anything in cotton in his biography. Likewise, the film is explicit, vulgar, sexually permissive, and a reflection of that time. The sad truth is that big studios do not get involved in such heavy stuff anymore.
It's also about sex and drug addiction. In one scene, you lose control of your body and roll down a staircase to somehow move ...
I spent months with Jordan Belfort and squeezed him, of course, also about his dependence on Quaalude (a sedative that is very euphoric, editor's note). I had no idea about that at all (laughs).
When you are as successful as you, no one often dares to argue. How do you deal with power?
You need people around you to keep you at bay. My friend Tobey Maguire is such a person to me. With him I feel understood. Like me, he grew up modestly and worked his way up as an actor.
Countless groupies are waiting in front of the hotel. Her reaction?
They did not wait for me. These are fans of "One Chance" who are neither familiar nor do I know the songs.
Are you relieved that the time of screaming girls is over?
At that time I already enjoyed this attention. At some point I realized that this can change quickly. So I decided to stop fulfilling the expectations of others and to play the roles that challenge me. At the same time, I appreciate the fans of my films. I think they want to see actors who are evolving and growing.
Since November you are 39 years old. The 40 is in sight. What are you proud of?
On the roles I chose as a young man. I often ask myself: Who was this snubbub who made such good decisions? As for the future, I want to become even freer and take even more risks. And always take enough time to explore what I enjoy.
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