New York: Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio has made it clear that he has no immediate plans to step behind the camera as a director, saying he does not see himself matching the creative brilliance of legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese.
According to People.com, DiCaprio shared his views during a conversation with Scorsese at TIME magazine’s A Year in TIME event in New York City. When asked about directing, the Oscar-winning actor was unequivocal.
“I would never want to direct,” DiCaprio said. “Martin Scorsese accomplishes things that I could never do. Why would I act in such a way?”
However, DiCaprio admitted that he sometimes wishes he had taken a step back during some of his earlier projects to observe the filmmaking process more closely from behind the camera.
“As you portray these people, you try to get as deep into their souls as possible,” he said. “I wish I had been more of a voyeur—to see your (Scorsese’s) work behind the camera. I would have loved to observe that process a lot more if I could go back in time.”
DiCaprio, who has collaborated with Scorsese on six films so far, also spoke about their shared creative process. He noted that their projects involve months of preparation, discussion and debate even before filming begins.
“That’s been our way of working together—having conversations for months in advance, asking questions and debating different approaches that may not be the most obvious,” he said, adding that the same method is being followed for their upcoming project.
Calling his partnership with Scorsese one of the proudest achievements of his life, DiCaprio reflected on how his admiration for cinema began at a young age.
“I wanted to be an actor because I grew up watching movies very early,” he said. “My father showed me Marty’s and Robert De Niro’s work and told me, ‘If there’s anyone you should aspire to work with in your career, it’s this gentleman.’ I got to see Marty’s work quite early on.”
DiCaprio and Scorsese first teamed up on Gangs of New York (2002) and later collaborated on acclaimed films such as The Aviator, The Departed and Killers of the Flower Moon.
The duo are currently working on their seventh film together, What Happens at Night, an adaptation of a novel by Peter Cameron, in which DiCaprio will star alongside Jennifer Lawrence.
