With a career spanning over 50 formidable film roles in the course of more than three decades, many would think that Hollywood legend Leonardo DiCaprio would have thought about directing his own film. But as it turns out, the Oscar-winning star of films like Titanic, Inception, and Catch Me If You Can has distanced himself from the possibility of sitting in the director’s chair. The reason? A very valid one, in the sense that he’s aware he could never do what his idol Martin Scorsese does behind the camera. So, what would be the point in trying it?
As reported by Variety, DiCaprio was the recipient of TIME’s 2025 Entertainer of the Year recognition. During the event, the 51-year-old actor and producer sat down to chat with long-time collaborator Martin Scorsese, and he confirmed why he’s never tried to direct a movie:
“Some people have asked me if I wanted to direct. I’m like, ‘I would never want to direct.’ I could never do anything close to what Martin Scorsese does. Why would I do that?”
DiCaprio admits that while he has stood alongside Scorsese for decades, he has not sought to learn the techniques from the master himself, as well as other Hollywood visionaries he has worked with, like Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, Quentin Tarantino, and Ridley Scott. Instead, he has been focusing on his own craft as an actor. When talking to Scorsese, DiCaprio said the following:
“I’ve been so focused on what I’ve been doing as an actor, you make these decisions, you play these characters, you try to get into the depth of their soul as much as you possibly can. I would have loved to be much more of a voyeur, to watch what you do behind the camera.”
What’s Next for the DiCaprio–Scorsese Powerhouse Duo?
Together, DiCaprio and Scorsese have done six films: Gangs of New York, The Aviator, The Departed, Shutter Island, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Killers of the Flower Moon, with a seventh currently in development. It is difficult to find such a symbiotic relationship in the history of cinema. Up next, they will reunite with Apple Original Films (the production studio behind 2023’s Killers of the Flower Moon) for What Happens at Night. Peter Cameron’s original novel follows a married couple who travel to Europe to adopt a baby, but something’s very off in this strange small town where other bizarre characters also live.
The project will also bring Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence on board, and it is set to begin production next February. When addressing their next project – one that will see them exploring horror-adjacent territory – DiCaprio says, “This is going to be an interesting one.” The actor adds:
“I think [our process of] working together is the ability to almost have a debate for months… lots of questions, lots of playing devil’s advocate about a way to approach things that may not be the most obvious direction. We’re doing that on the new film now, and it’s been absolutely one of the most profound learning experiences.”
- Birthname
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Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio
- Birthdate
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November 11, 1974
- Birthplace
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Hollywood, California, USA
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
