Leonardo DiCaprio is one of today’s most popular actors, which means he has movie offers thrown at him left and right. And it’s pretty much been that way ever since he broke every box office record possible in 1997 with Titanic. Yet even before Titanic he was getting some pretty choice movie offers that he turned down for other projects. (History has shown, however, that whatever DiCaprio doesn’t get often gets passed on to Mark Wahlberg.)
On the occasion of Leonardo DiCaprio’s 41st birthday, here are some of the big films that he’s said “thanks, but no thanks” to over the years.
Hocus Pocus (1993)
Leonardo DiCaprio passed on Hocus Pocus in favor of What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. There’s nothing wrong with Gilbert Grape: Critics loved it and DiCaprio even got an Oscar nomination. But people on the internet ain’t making quizzes about Gilbert Grape. DiCaprio was offered the role of virgin candle-lighter Max along with a hefty sum of money, but he went after Gilbert Grape, despite what his agent and managers told him about the money that came with the Disney project.
“I don’t know where the hell I got the nerve,” DiCaprio says now. “You live in an environment where you’re influenced by people telling you to make a lot of money and strike while the iron’s hot. But if there’s one thing I’m very proud of, it’s being a young man who was sticking to my guns.” [Variety]
Boogie Nights (1997)
DiCaprio could have been that “big, bright shinning star” who whipped out his prosthetic dong, but alas, that privilege went to Mark Wahlberg. DiCaprio and Wahlberg were both rising stars in 1996. DiCaprio was coming off the critically acclaimed Basketball Diaries and Wahlberg was coming off that tighty whities Calvin Klein gig. DiCaprio was offered the lead in the film directed by promising up-and-coming director Paul Thomas Anderson. Then James Cameron called and offered him the chance to be king of the world in Titanic and the rest is history.
American Psycho (1999)
Lionsgate and director Marry Harron didn’t see eye-to-eye on numerous aspects of American Psycho, particularly the casting of Patrick Bateman. Harron championed Bale against the studio’s recommendation for a bigger star. When Bale caught wind that DiCaprio was up for the part he nearly quit the project. When the studio did announce that they would be going with DiCaprio for the project, Harron left and Oliver Stone signed on to direct. The personalities of Stone and DiCaprio didn’t mesh well, though, and both dropped the project, allowing Harron to return with Christian Bale behind her.
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
DiCaprio was offered the lead in the 1999 thriller to be his Titanic follow-up, but instead of jetting off to Europe he opted for some South Pacific beach time with Danny Boyle in The Beach. That left Matt Damon to murder Jude Law and cavort around Venice.
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
DiCaprio probably would have been good, maybe even great as ruthless Nazi Colonel Hans Landa in Quentin Tarantino’s WWII blockbuster. But then audiences would have missed out on the fantastic Christoph Waltz, and that would just be wrong. DiCaprio was at the top of Tarantino’s list to play Hans Landa, but then Tarantino changed his mind and decided the part should be played by a German-speaking actor. Tarantino of course got to work with DiCaprio on his follow-up project, Django Unchained. Inglourious Basterds, on the other hand, gave the internet this treasure.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Tom Hardy’s Bane wasn’t always Warner Bros.’ first choice for Batman’s main baddie in The Dark Knight Rises. The studio shuffled around various Batman villains before settling on Bane and one of the names that came up was the Riddler. Executives at the studio approached Christopher Nolan about the possibility of Leonardo DiCaprio around the same time Nolan was pitching Inception, according to Dark Knight Rises screenwriter David Goyer. The idea obviously didn’t take but DiCaprio still got his chance to work with Nolan on Inception and audiences were saved from having to watch Batman fight a guy in green tights again.
The Gambler (2014)
This remake of the James Toback-scripted 1974 in which James Caan plays a man with a gambling addiction should have been right up DiCaprio’s alley. When news broke of the project in 2011, DiCaprio signed on to the project with a possibility of Martin Scorsese directing. But then Todd Phillips took over the directing duties, leading to DiCaprio’s departure. (The film was eventually directed by Rupert Wyatt and starred, again, Mark Wahlberg.) Scorsese opted to direct Wolf of Wall Street and DiCaprio followed.
