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Ahead of their release of their new film One Battle After Another on September 26, Hollywood titan Leonardo DiCaprio and Paul Thomas Anderson sat down for an extensive conversation that led to DiCaprio revealing Anderson’s Boogie Nights is the one project he regrets passing on.
Leonardo DiCaprio has been one of Hollywood’s premier A-listers since the late 1990s, meaning the Oscar-winning actor has likely been first line line to recieve scripts over the years, giving him first dibs.
As such, DiCaprio has likely passed on many films throughout the years, but only one stands out to him now: PTA’s 1997 comedy-drama Boogie Nights, which would up starring Mark Wahlberg in the lead role of young adult film actor Eddie Adams, a.k.a Dirk Diggler.
Leonardo DiCaprio says passing on Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights is his biggest professional regret
“I’ll say it even though you’re here: My biggest regret is not doing Boogie Nights. It was a profound movie of my generation. I can’t imagine anyone but Mark [Wahlberg] in it. When I finally got to see that movie, I just thought it was a masterpiece. It’s ironic that you’re the person asking that question [about regrets], but it’s true,” DiCaprio said in a recent conversation with PTA for Esquire.
As for revisiting his own work, DiCaprio says it’s not something he does often. He did single out one movie of his that he’s rewatched over the years, and that’s Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator.
“I rarely watch any of my films, but if I’m being honest, there’s one that I have watched more than others. It’s The Aviator. That’s simply because it was such a special moment to me,” the iconic actor explained.
“I had worked with Marty [Scorsese] on Gangs of New York, and I’d been toting around a book on Howard Hughes for ten years. I almost did it with Michael Mann, but there was a conflict and I ended up bringing it to Marty. I was thirty. It was the first time as an actor I got to feel implicitly part of the production, rather than just an actor hired to play a role. I felt responsible in a whole new way. I’ve always felt proud and connected to that film as such a key part of my growing up in this industry and taking on a role of a real collaborator for the first time.”
While DiCaprio ultimately passed on Boogie Nights, 1997 turned out to be a great year for him anyway, as he starred in a little movie called Titanic.
In addition to DiCaprio, One Battle After Another also stars Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Chase Infiniti. You can check out the official trailer below.