Denton County Living Well Magazine May/June 2019 | Page 11

I
t’s hard to believe Leonardo DiCaprio is 44 years old. The
Hollywood native, who grew up in a rough neighborhood
in Los Angeles bullied and belittled only to become one
of its brightest denizens, is equal parts fabled Dorian
Gray and Jay Gatsby. Ironically, the latter character
being a role the dashing actor seamlessly slipped into
for the much anticipated 2013 film The Great Gatsby.
Ageless, yet conveying a wisdom beyond his years, the
perennial bachelor who was named Leonardo because his
German mother, Irmelin, first felt him kick while gazing upon a
Da Vinci painting in Florence, has done his namesake proud.
“He’s like a silent-film actor,” says director Martin Scorsese. “He can flash half a doz-
en emotions in a matter of seconds, simply by using his eyes.”
DiCaprio first worked with the notable director on Gangs of New York and they’ve since partnered on four
further films, The Aviator, The Departed, Shutter Island, and The Wolf of Wall Street. Next up, the duo is
partnering with Hulu to adapt Erik Larson’s book The Devil in the White City for their sixth collaboration.
“Marty is the great director of our time, who has taught
me two crucial things. One, it takes a long time and a
lot of patience to make a good movie; and two, film is
as valid an art form as painting or sculpture. Ultimately,
like any artist, I want to make lasting pieces of art; mov-
ies that people will look at and appreciate in 50 years’
time,” DiCaprio told Chloe Fox of The Telegraph.
ACTING ALWAYS
REPRESENTED A WAY OUT
FOR ME. I SAW MANY THINGS
IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS
WHERE I GREW UP THAT
WERE PRETTY
Acting is a craft that DiCaprio was drawn to in his forma-
tive years. “Very early on, I was always impersonating
different characters, imitating people who came by. I loved
doing that and getting the amazing experience of seeing
people’s reactions. You see your parents laughing. It’s a
communal family experience, and you share that love, you know?” he said an interview with Parade.
TERRIFYING.
Acting provided a ready escape to young DiCaprio while growing up in an area rife with prosti-
tutes, addicts, and drug dealers. “Acting always represented a way out for me. I saw many things
in the neighborhoods where I grew up that were pretty terrifying. Acting takes you away from
reality. Being able to escape was important. Movies do that for me. Two hours inside of a the-
ater can transport you into a completely other universe. To me, that’s the beauty of movies.”
In front of an audience is where DiCaprio flourishes, something that didn’t go unnoticed by his
parents. Although his mother and father amicably divorced soon after Leo was born, they sup-
ported their son unconditionally. “They listened to their kid saying, ‘This is what I want to do,” de-
scribed DiCaprio to The Telegraph. “They made me feel that all my dreams were within reach.”
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