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Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the most exalted actors working today. However, just like every famous actor, he has left plenty of projects or discarded some to work on others. Sometimes it worked out well, while other times, not so much.
For example, not many know that DiCaprio left an Oscar-nominated film for one of the biggest bombs of his career. So, one has to wonder how his career would have panned out if he had chosen to do that Oscar-nominated film or evenAmerican Psycho.
Was Letting Go Of An Oscar Nominated Film, Leonardo DiCaprio’s Worst Career Decision?
The Guardian reported that Leonardo DiCaprio was offered the role ofMatt Damon’sTom Ripley in Anthony Minghella’s 1999 psychological thriller film, TheTalented Mr. Ripley. But the actor instead went on to star in Danny Boyle’s 2000 adventure drama,The Beach. The latter grossed $39 million on a $50 million budget.
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ButThe Talented Mr. Ripleygrossed $128 million on a $40 million budget. That’s not all. It went on to bag 5 Oscar nominations at the Academy Awards. It took home nominations for Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Music, and Best Writing. However, it didn’t win any.
Yet, it received plenty of critical adulation and is still a beloved and well-watched film. Something that can’t be said forThe Beach. As such, it was a critical mistake byLeonardo DiCaprioand almost sunk his career. But this wasn’t the only mistake career mistake by the actor. He also turned downAmerican Psycho.
Read More:“There’s a huge strain on the heart”: Christian Bale’s Stepmother, Who Persuaded Leonardo DiCaprio to Reject American Psycho, Feels Concerned for Batman Star for a Shocking Reason
Leonardo DiCaprio Committed A Career Blunder By Turning DownAmerican Psycho
Over the years,American Psychohas cemented itself as a pop-culture staple. In fact,Christian Bale’sPatrick Bateman has seen a resurgence in popularity in the recent years as well. As such, one has to wonder how the film would have been received if Leonardo DiCaprio had taken the role, like the studio, Lionsgate, wanted.
In fact, director Mary Harron was ousted from the project initially because she wanted the lesser-known star Christian Bale while the studio was adamant about getting Leonardo DiCaprio. So why didn’tThe Shutter Islandstar sign on to the project? It’s allegedly because as per Vice, Gloria Steinem told DiCaprio not to do a film that depicted violence against women when his fanbase was heavily made up of young girls and women.
Read More:“It wasn’t appropriate”: Natalie Portman Said No to On-screen Romance With Leonardo DiCaprio When She Was 13 Years Old
Later on, Harron was brought back and Christian Bale got the lead role of the savage and demented banker. The rest is history. The film grossed $34 million against a $8 million budget. One has to wonder if DiCaprio regrets not doing these films. Guess we will not know for now.
The Talented Mr. RipleyandAmerican Psychoare available on Amazon Prime Video.
Source:ViceandThe Guardian
Ishita Chatterjee
Content Writer
Articles Published :752
Ishita is an Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows, with over 700 articles published. She has been working in the entertainment and pop-culture niche for more than 4 years. With a English Literature degree, Ishita generally covers news and analyses on Foundation, Ted Lasso, Severance, and more.A lifelong DC fan, Ishita spends her time watching and re-watching everything in the DC universe (yes, even including the Arrowverse shows).
