Leonardo DiCaprio Almost Played James Dean in Biopic but THIS Happened
Leonardo DiCaprio had given justice to almost all of his previous roles in blockbuster Hollywood films, but there is one character that he was supposed to play. However, it got scrapped because of a shocking reason.
In an interview with Deadline, director Michael Mann revealed he initially wanted the "Titanic" actor to star in a James Dean biopic during the 90s.
The 47-year-old actor already did a screentest, which the filmmaker described as "brilliant."
However, the movie didn't push through because Mann decided to focus on the 1995 movie "Heat" featuring Al Pacino, Val Kilmer, and Robert De Niro.
Another reason why DiCaprio didn't get the role was because of his age as he was deemed "too young" for the role because he was only 19 years old at the time.
"And then it's who the hell could play James Dean? And I found a chap who could play James Dean, but he was too young. It was Leo. We did a screen test that's quite amazing. I think he must've been 19 at the time," he said. (via Daily Mail UK)
The "Wolf of Wall Street" star would have been perfect for the role as the director noted that he had an angle where he looks exactly like the late actor.
However, when he turned his head in a different direction, Mann only saw a "young kid."
James Dean was one of Hollywood's most renowned actors. He passed away in 1995 after being involved in an accident while on his way to the Salinas Road Race.
Other BIG Role That Leonardo DiCaprio Almost Played
There were several iconic roles that Leonardo DiCaprio almost played in the past but he never got the chance to do so as he reportedly declined several offers.
In a previous interview with Variety, the actor revealed he almost played the character of Max in the 1993 film "Hocus Pocus."
Although the offered salary was more than he "ever dreamed of," he had two other projects at the time, which made him hard to commit to the movie.
Despite turning down a good offer, DiCaprio's career continued to blossom during the early days of his career.
He starred in the movie "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" alongside Johnny Depp, which led him to earn his first Oscar nomination at the age of 19.
