Interview with Leonardo DiCaprio on his new film

Q: Hi Leo. Revolutionary Road explores human insecurities. Do you have any insecurities?

A: Absolutely. I don't think I'd be human if I didn't. I think we all do. We all have that voice constantly in our head.

Q: Can you be more specific?

A: About what my voices are? (laughs) I just think we all have that. We're all filled with self doubt constantly. That's a part of life.

Q: Revolutionary Road allows the audience to watch a marriage that on the outside looks perfect, but inside is disintegrating. Do you think the movie paints a bad picture of marriage?

A: No. I mean, I think this is a reflection of two people that were inevitably not going to be together. It's a portrait of a dissolving relationship. What it does capture is that insecure, doubtful voice that's in all of us ­ while we're projecting one attitude which can sometimes seem superficial and what (author of the Revolutionary Road novel) Richard Yates was able to do was tap into that unconscious dialogue that we all have in our head while we are analysing our surroundings. As far as it being a relationship, I think it's a relationship that is inevitably doomed. Whether Paris happened or not I feel like these were two trains on different courses and it's a fascinating train wreck to watch because these characters were so deeply rich and had so much subtext.. That was all in the book and it was all ammunition for us as actors to be able to tap into. You feel voyeuristic watching these two characters unravel. You feel like you shouldn't be listening to these conversations, that you shouldn't be knowing that much about (laughs) these people. This book provided a tremendous template for a movie, I think.

Q: Revolutionary Road reunites you with Kate Winslet for the first time since Titanic. What was that like and why did it take more than 10 years?

A: Kate and I have been friends for a long time. We both knew that if we were going to attempt to do something together again we didn't want to be prejudiced because of Titanic. Kate is simply the best actress of her generation so it was just about finding the right project.

Q: Kate is also full of praise for you.

A: God bless her. I felt that we both knew we needed to do something really unique and not tread on similar territory whatsoever and this is something she shepherded and developed for many, many years.

Q: How have the two of you changed since 1997 when you made Titanic?

A: We still have the same passion we had for acting, the same commitment and same sense of humour. On a personal level, she's the same kind of person. On a professional level in recent years we have been more in charge of projects that we've undertaken. With that responsibility you gain a tremendous amount of knowledge about what it's like to make movies, what it's like to take responsibility of you as an actor and your character. I felt there was a much different maturity level in that regard just by the mere experience of having done all those movies since then and being more in control of our movies and the types of roles we wanted to do and commanding those roles. It's inherent in that.

Q: How have you changed since Titanic on a personal level?

A: Boy, I would have to have someone else answer that. I think that's a question for Kate (laughs). I think I just answered it on a professional level. By the mere nature of choosing the types of movies you want to be in, it changes you as an actor. You're not doing something in reaction to getting a role, you are shepherding that project, you are making a certain character yours.

Q: But on a personal level?

A: On a personal level, I could go on and on for how much I've changed. I don't know where to begin.

Q: What's it like being a movie star?

A: It's a weird industry to be in. It's a strange industry because you go off on these locations and you have these experiences for four, five, six months and it kind of puts everything else on your life on hold. Life kind of doesn't happen while you're working. It's really weird. So you don't really hone the relationships with friends or family back home while you're working. It's strange. You have to catch up on everything when you come back so it's this constant weird dynamic. But it's been interesting and I've enjoyed it, that's for sure.

Q: How was it working with Sam Mendes on Revolutionary Road?

A: Working with Sam was great. What he was able to do with us as actors, was we did this whole thing in sequential order which meant that even if we weren't a hundred per cent tapped into our characters at the beginning of the film, by the end of it, it was like doing a play or living a life.. We had so much ammunition and so much baggage that it sort of all exploded by the end of the film. The way he was able to work with us as actors, because of his theatre experience, was really beneficial to us as actors.

Q; As an actor, do you have a  mission?

A: Do I have a mission? Absolutely no mission. No.

Q: Really? You appear for instance to be very involved with the environment..

A: Well that's a different thing. That's, you know, I could go on about that in a different way. If we're talking about me being an actor, then I think unconsciously who we are is reflected in the type of movies we do. I would say that when reading a script, I'd say I'm attracted to a certain subject matter or certain piece of material that talks about the human condition because I feel that's worth doing. I think that, in essence, says something about the type of movies I'd like to be out there, the type of movies I feel are good. I don't know if you want to get into environmental stuff, but I feel that's the best way I can describe it. If I have any mission ... you know, I've done movies in the past that have had political undertones certainly like Blood Diamond, that to me is interesting. These things are a reflection of who we are, I think.

Q: What movie did you see recently that you liked?

A: Slumdog Millionaire I really liked. You know, I worked with Danny Boyle on The Beach so I feel like I know how he likes to tell stories and I also know that he loves to get really enveloped in the locations he goes in. That movie, wow. He captured some things that are just astounding. It's a tragic story but a beautiful story at the same time. He made a little Apocalypse Now in his own way.

Q: At any point in your career, have you felt trapped as Frank Wheeler did? At one point you were cast as a matinee idol, the typical good looking guy, with a teen idol fan base, now you're doing more character driven material. Was there a point you felt like you weren't choosing your path?

A: No, I was always choosing which was great, but the sheer dynamic of being in a movie like Titanic lends itself to that kind of worldwide appeal rather than specifically targeting more character driven roles, just by the sheer nature of it.

Q: How important are film critics to you? Do you take bad reviews to heart? For Body of Lies the reviews were particularly harsh.

A: Unlike a lot of people, I read the criticisms. I think criticisms are important. They are people who have nothing to do with the film making process so they are unbiased. They objectively look at the final outcome without knowing how you got there or how difficult it was. They just say I like that movie or I didn't. It's interesting to me. You learn more and more. It makes you hone back to what's most important about making a movie, rather than a lot of stuff which can be a tremendous waste of time.

Q: When you are on the set of a film, do you know if it will be a critical hit or miss or box office winner?

A: No. It's very difficult because you can have the right elements involved in making a movie, but you never know the outcome. You never know what factors will come into play. It can be something which has absolutely nothing to do with your performance, your ability or what you tried to do. It could be just the subject matter, it could the time period, who knows? It's a very difficult thing to make a good movie. That's what I've discovered. It's very hard to have all those puzzle pieces come into play to make a whole complete film.

Q: What was your favourite scene to shoot in Revlutionary Road?

A: I couldn't wait for the big fight at the end. I kept saying to Kate way before we filmed it "Boy I'm going to give it to you that day." That was exciting because I knew as much as the first half of the movie was about this hopeful idyllic dream they had which made them feel elite or different from everyone around them, that would all unravel. That was the most interesting stuff to play ultimately.

Q: And the most complicated scene?

A: The most complicated was the disintegration. It was like a castle falling down. We were very well prepared for it and, I have to say, we had a lot of fun portraying it.

Q: What's the worst fight you ever had in a relationship?

A: Can't even tell you. There's been many.

Q: Have you ever almost come to blows with a director?

A: No. If there's any issues or problems that may surface while making a movie, it's highly doubtful it would ever come to blows. There'd be a quiet conversation in the corner and ultimately, the director's opinion would trump mine. I'd say, 'You are the captain of the ship and at the end of the day, you make the decision'. When you have the ability and trust with somebody where you can be as honest as possible and you know you're not going to hurt their feelings, shake their foundation it makes you that much better and it makes the working relationship that much better because you get to the heart of things. You get to the truth of the matter easiest.

Q: You seem to have a very strong relationship with your mother. Is she your best friend?

A: I'm very blessed to have a great relationship with  both my parents and I know how valuable that is. I would never have been a working actor if it weren't for both of them. My mother was the one that listened to an 11-year-old kid who said "I want to be an actor" and drove me to every audition I wanted to go to after school and that's a big thing to do. My dad has been advising me ever since.

Q: Your parents are divorced. Sometimes it is hard to maintain a good relationship with both parents when they separate.

A: Not if you have good supportive parents which I'm lucky to have.

Q: Do you feel like you've become who you want to in life?

A: I have to say I'm pretty pleased with how things have gone. I still have a tremendous desire to make great movies. It's been a desire that I don't know if it can ever be quenched. We're also influenced by a certain time frame in our youth and that was in my early teens when I started watching great classic movies and some great performances in the 50s, 60s, 70s. I just said to myself "My god, one day I want to make one movie or give one performance that is that good." When you get that bug early on it can last, given the opportunity of course, it can last a lifetime, so I think it's a good thing to have that desire.

Q: If you had one day where no-one recognised you, what would you do?

A: I probably would just walk the streets or Rome or Paris. Probably Rome. I'd like to hit all those spots. I'd like to hit every great place in Rome that I could. I do that anyway, but usually it involved throwing me into a car (laughs) and a couple of security guards taking me off to the next highlight.

Q: With all of the public and media scrutiny, sometimes does it feel like you are living in a cage?

A: Nah. I have nothing to complain about.

Q: Do you have a Plan B or do you want to do the actor-thing until the end?

A: Is this not good enough? (laughs) My Plan B is if I can't continue to be an actor and the type of actor I want then I'll go do films with my friends for no money. I love acting so there is no Plan B. I hope to always be an actor, be involved with environmental issues, sure. It's the one thing I've always loved and always wanted to do.

Q: Do you have any personal habits you would like to change?

A:  I've got a lot that I would like to change. My indecisiveness. I'd love to be more decisive. But I think that's a part of my process. I feel like if I torture myself over decisions for a long period of time then I can ultimately have a good track record. It could be beneficial too, I don't know.

Q: Are you a shy person?

A: No, I don't think so. Some people may think that, but I don't. I'm a pretty social dude.