DiCaprio Confesses 'My Biggest Regret in Life is Rejecting Boogie Nights'

Leonardo DiCaprio revealed that his 'biggest regret in life' is turning down the 1997 film 'Boogie Nights'.

The Academy Award-winning actor DiCaprio recently disclosed in an interview with Esquire that he rejected the offer to star in Paul Thomas Anderson's drama about the porn industry, 'Boogie Nights'. This decision allowed him to instead appear in 'Titanic'.

He Would Have Chosen 'Boogie Nights' Over 'Titanic'

With the blockbuster success of Titanic, DiCaprio rose to become a Hollywood superstar, but he stated that if he could turn back time, he would have chosen 'Boogie Nights' over James Cameron's sinking ship movie.

When asked by Anderson during an interview, "Do you have any regrets?" DiCaprio replied, "I will say it even though you are here. My biggest regret in life is not doing 'Boogie Nights'. It was a profound film for our generation."

A Work He Described as a 'Masterpiece'

He added, "When I finally got to see that movie, I thought it was a masterpiece," and ironically remarked, "It is true that you are asking that question."

DiCaprio is known to have been the first choice of director Anderson for the role of the rising porn star Dirk Diggler. This role ultimately went to Mark Wahlberg. DiCaprio regrets turning down the role but stated, "I can't imagine anyone else but Wahlberg in that role."

A Film Depicting the Golden Age of Porn in the 1970s

'Boogie Nights', which chronologically depicts the golden age of porn in the 1970s, is the film that officially launched Anderson's career after his small debut film 'Hard Eight' in 1996.

This film, made while DiCaprio was filming Titanic, features Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly, Heather Graham, and Burt Reynolds. Reynolds was nominated for an Academy Award for his role.

First Collaboration in 20 Years

Director Anderson has since directed critically acclaimed films such as 'Magnolia' (1999), 'There Will Be Blood' (2007), and 'Phantom Thread' (2017).

Anderson's new film 'One Battle After Another', which he has been preparing for 20 years, is the first film he is working on with DiCaprio. It tells the story of a former member of a revolutionary group seeking help from other revolutionaries to find his missing daughter, and is set to be released on September 26.

DiCaprio won his first Academy Award for 'The Revenant' in 2016 and has been nominated a total of six times.