By Cara Alwill
Leonardo DiCaprio is one of those actors who could never work another day and still be remembered as one of film’s greatest talents. But even though he just wrapped up his fourth film with acclaimed director Martin Scorsese (whom he credits as his greatest inspiration), Leo is surprisingly down to earth and well aware of the realities that come along with the level of fame he’s achieved.
"If you'd asked me at sixteen the director I wanted to work with, it would have been Marty. So I couldn't wait to be in one of his films,” Leo told Parade.com.
Leo was lucky enough to work with Scorsese yet again, in the supernatural thriller "Shutter Island." In it, he plays a U. S. Marshall whose search for an escaped murderer at a mental hospital plunges him into some terrifying mind games. Leo admits it was one of his most challenging roles. "I have to say 'Shutter Island' was one of the most intense, hardcore filming experiences I've ever had as we explored what the mentally ill had to face in the days when mental hospitals were called insane asylums. It was really very traumatic, and I don't say that about a film very often. I went to places and unearthed some things that I didn't think I was capable of. It was like an emotional layer cake that just kept getting deeper and deeper."
Though Leo takes his job seriously, he definitely knows how to stay grounded. "I know this is going to sound lame, but one of my favorite things is hanging out with my friends. They take me away from the world of show business and keep me grounded. It brings me back to who I am,” he admits.
And he knows that fame can slip away just as fast as it comes. "Just because you've done a good performance once, doesn't mean you're always going to be good. You just have to realize that when you're hot, you're hot, and when you're not, you're not." Well, we tend to think he’s still pretty hot, and always will be!
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