Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2000 | 9:28 a.m.
David Neil, along with Jeff Howard, writes the Movie Guys column, which appears Fridays in the Sun.
Even before gaining worldwide recognition in late 1997 as daring young hero Jack Dawson in the blockbuster, Oscar-winning film "Titanic," Leonardo DiCaprio was one of the most ambitious actors of his generation. At age 14 he made his break into commercials and educational films. Not long after he was cast for a season on the popular ABC program "Growing Pains," and followed up with a Golden Globe honor and Academy Award nomination for his supporting turn in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" (1993).
In accepting his popularity, he describes the last couple of years as "a huge learning process, a sort of transformation period." However, he makes light of his circumstances by joking that of all the places he goes "I'm rarely noticed in Los Angeles." In a recent interview with the Sun, the 25-year-old actor discusses success, the politics that followed the production of his newest film "The Beach," and coping with fame:
Question: Obviously, you took your time in picking your next movie after "Titanic," so what was it about "The Beach" that made you decide on that as your next project?
Answer: It struck a chord in me, plus it was the first thing that I read (laughing). No, but it took over a year for me to really find something that I connected with. I didn't want to rush into anything, and I really wanted the next film I did to be something that I could put all my focus on and not just go from film to film without really paying a lot of attention to detail. In other words, I was given a lot of great opportunities after "Titanic," and I just wanted my next film to be something that I really felt a connection with.
Q: What sort of connection was that?
A: I felt, thematically, there was a lot of great things that the movie said about how my generation is sort of desensitized. We are so influenced by the media and television and the movies that we really have this lack of a real tangible connection with our emotions anymore. And my character, Richard, goes on this journey to sort of search for something, and he doesn't know what that is. He works up the courage to go to Thailand on his own and finds that everything is part of this whole American monoculture, it is all Disney-fied and everything is pre-packaged, and all set up for the rich tourist. He wants to find something below the surface of that, and he ends up being the type of personality that attracts this other character who gives him a map to paradise and it seems to be the answer to all his problems.
Q: Your character in "The Beach" isn't exactly the most likable guy in the world. How tough is that to pull off, to make the audience want to go on this journey with you when you're not exactly heroic?
A: Well, I think that he's neither heroic nor villainous. He contains multitudes. He's constantly contradicting himself and is an extremely complex character. Plus, it's all part of being an actor, and even though I respect people who are fans of "Titanic" or something along those lines, I'm an actor and I have to vary my roles.
Q: Do you wish you could bury part of "Titanic," and almost start out fresh?
A: No, not at all. I think it has given me more opportunities than anything I could ever have dreamed of. (Shaking his head) Absolutely not.
Q: Well, since you brought up "Titanic," how did you cope with the enormous amount of fame and fortune and opportunities that came in such a short amount of time in your career following the film's success?
A: (Laughing) I think I have said this before that no matter where you go, there you are, and you have to deal with who you are in the end. If you have internal demons, you're going to have to deal with it, no matter what position you are put in. We have heard stories a million times over of people who have been put in a position of fame and wealth and had a great opportunity in their lives -- and then only have ruined it all, because no matter what, you're going to have to deal with who you are in the end. So you just have to have a certain amount of acceptance and say, "You know what? I can't control everything."
Q: "The Beach" depicts a true heaven on Earth for individuals looking to break away from what you described as society conforming to the norm. How closely do you relate to such a description?
A: The whole point of "The Beach" to me is that there is no place like that. It is always going to be a temporary moment in time, and you may grow from that experience and learn from that experience, but there is no one place to me that answers all the questions to your problems. It is a series of life experiences.
Q: You were quite active in the preservation of the island during and after production. How frustrating did all the criticism become?
A: We were used as a target case, I think, for a lot of the political propaganda that was going on at the time, about the relationship between the government and the forestry department, who is allowed to rent out an island and whatnot. The production team and I were both used as sort of, you know, this test case for everyone to sort of criticize. Meanwhile, if anyone would have looked at what we had done, we took three tons of garbage off that island and it was pretty much a disaster before we even got there. Unfortunately, we got caught up in all that and it became a series of lies about what was going on that spread all around the world as soon as production began.
Q: Can you talk a little bit about the director, Danny Boyle? Were you familiar with him?
A: Absolutely. When I saw "Trainspotting," that was one of the most unbelievably different films that I had ever seen, period. That movie just took so many chances and it enveloped you in this world of heroin -- which is seemingly a dark subject -- and just made it, to me, completely fascinating and entertaining. At one point it is even tantalizing and you get both a dangerous and comedic feeling at the same time. And, the ability that Danny has to sort of go into that surreal realm of filmmaking and really not take you out of the movie, to actually get you more connected to the characters and what they are doing, that was unbelievable. Especially on a film that had that kind of a budget. It was just a regular, low-budget movie, and what he created out of that was just truly incredible.
Q: There was a script change in the book between your character Richard and co-star Virginie Ledoyen's French girl, Francoise. Did that adaptation work for you?
A: Well, Danny just sort of said, "I'm going to make him sleep with the girl, because I can't take the anticipation anymore." (Laughing) It's this constant flirtation throughout the whole movie that never amounts to anything and, you know, he just said he just had to have that happen. For me it is an interesting tool because it really works along the lines of Richard's sort of fascination with isolation, and that he believes, whenever he gets something, the grass is always greener on the other side. ... He wants to go further, you know what I mean, and get in touch with the further emotion.
Q: Today, both parents and the government are concerned with the sort of influence films have on a youthful audience, especially toward sex and violence. One could argue that there is cause for concern in "The Beach," the way the film portrays marijuana in a glorified fashion and as a source of paradise. Are you worried about the possible response that aspect of the film might receive?
A: I think the subject is more closely related to the book. The marijuana field in this film, in reality, I don't think is portrayed in any way that is eventually harmful to our youth. But I think that as in comparison to the book, it was used in almost a different way. It's more politically related to the Thai farmers in the movie, I think, and the relationship of them protecting the marijuana fields. The fact that it was closely linked to the secrecy of the beach community and that these Thai farmers had to protect these marijuana fields, one couldn't exist without the other.
Q: Is your next project involving Martin Scorsese's "Gangs of New York"?
A: Yeah ... I mean, as far as I know. Hollywood is a fickle place and everything is subject to change, at any moment, even up to like the first day of shooting, as you probably know. But from what I've been told and my conversations with Mr. Scorsese and the studio, it is happening. (Smiling) It's a go!
Q: What can you tell us about the film?
A: It's a story about the sort of gang relationships in the 1850s, before the Civil War, and their influence in making New York City the sort of metropolitan city that it is now. How they influenced the government and some of the huge riots that went on in New York City.
Q: You said you have been taken by Danny Boyle's movies. Were Scorsese's movies also influential to you?
A: (Jokingly) I mean, I heard he was a good director. There's a rumor going around, but I didn't believe it. (Laughing) No really, absolutely! At 16 I remember going through and re-watching all of (Robert) De Niro's movies, and I obviously knew it was synonymous with Scorsese. The two really are closely linked. And those movies became some of my favorite, as I'm sure for most people, including yourself, I'd bet. God, just generally real classic, unforgettable movies. And if you meet the guy, he is literally an encyclopedia of film.
A lot of people don't know that he sits and watches movies all day long. I mean, that's what he does. He is a catalog of film and every shot, every bit of information, every new technique, he knows about it. You know, he's one of the last great American masters, if not the last great American master. So, the fact that I'm going to work with him is (he smiles) really nice.
Q: I've read something that quoted you expressing, "The best thing about acting is that I get to lose myself in another character and actually get paid for it. As for myself, I'm not sure who I am. I change every day." Have you figured out who you are yet?
A: You know, I think you get closer to realizing who you are with every passing day. (Pauses) I'm still in the process of finding out who I am and I don't know -- I know I have a better idea, though. I know that some things are important to me and some things aren't. I'm sure there's a lot -- but I still actually agree with that comment, when you go off and you sort of take on different characters and different personalities, it's all part of learning about who you are, too. And that's why it's a good job.
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