Yep, Leo almost passed on playing Jay Gatsby. Titanic’s golden boy was “reluctant” to dive into the role, and it was no casual hesitation. This is Jay Gatsby, who throws the wildest parties in East Egg!
DiCaprio’s take? He’d read The Great Gatsby back in junior high. “It made sense to me back then,” he said, adding he got Gatsby’s “obsession.” But years later, he wasn’t so sure he wanted the pressure of playing one of literature’s most debated characters. “Everyone has their interpretation of these characters,” he explained. So, naturally, he was wrestling with taking on an iconic and complicated role.
But then Baz Luhrmann, the mad genius behind Romeo + Juliet, walked in. He didn’t pitch Leo like some Hollywood exec. No, he brought him a first edition of The Great Gatsby. “I want to rediscover this novel…and I want you to re-read it,” he told Leo, probably with the flair only Baz could bring. Re-reading the book as an adult, DiCaprio had an epiphany. “That’s what’s so powerful about this novel,” he said. “It takes on a different meaning as you mature.” Gatsby was back on the table, and Leo was all in.
Of course, when Baz is on board, things get next-level. Baz and his partner-in-crime, Jay-Z, didn’t just want Gatsby’s Jazz Age—they tried to throw it a modern remix. Enter a soundtrack full of hip-hop, electronic beats, and pop-soul fusion, like The Great Gatsby’s glittering Roaring Twenties viewed through a neon-tinted lens. Jay-Z wanted the music to mirror the book’s extravagance and illusions. “The Great Gatsby is that classic American story of one’s introduction to extravagance, decadence, and illusion,” he said. It’s Gatsby with a Jay-Z spin, a little old-school, and some “Empire State of Mind.”
The soundtrack became a vibe, featuring Beyoncé and André 3000’s haunting cover of “Back to Black” and Lana Del Rey’s swoon-worthy “Young and Beautiful.” Lana was also calling it “an honor” to work on a “highly glamorous and exciting film.”
DiCaprio wasn’t the only one on his toes—Carey Mulligan, cast as the legendary Daisy Buchanan, admitted to “freaking out” over working with him. She called Leo the “most incredible actor on the planet,” she wasn’t just saying that. Leo went all-out to help her during her audition, running lines, jumping into different roles, and setting the scene like a pro. Mulligan recalled that Leo even improvised dialogue as three other characters in one scene to help her become a character. She was stunned, saying, “Leonardo DiCaprio doesn’t need to be helping me in this audition,” but there he was.
When The Great Gatsby hit Cannes, it was luxury, drama, and Leo’s Gatsby stealing the show—Baz Luhrmann’s glittering spin on ambition, heartbreak, and pure cinematic magic.
Looking back, Leo’s initial hesitation feels almost laughable. He was made for Gatsby, even if it took a bit of convincing. And we’ll thank Baz Luhrmann for bringing that first edition.
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