Fold Out Giant Poster Mag - TV Stars 1998
I really don´t want to be a mainstream movie star
You´ve got a reputation for being a bit of a party animal - is that deserved or is it all made up?
Well, I do like a good party. On New Year´s Eve, 12 of my friends and I had a wild time, partying in a waterfront mansion in South Beach. We had caviar, oysters and champagne. Then the next night I was out again, at Bash - a club in South Beach (owned by actor Sean Penn). So, yeah, I suppose I do like a good party!
You´re a big heartthrob with all the laydees - I bet you don´t have trouble finding someone to take to all those premieres, do you?
I´ve only actually taken one girl, Kristen Zang, to a premiere which was in 1996. But at Cannes I took my Mom and my grandma, Helena, with me - they´re the two main ladies in my life!
So you´re a real home boy, then.
Yes, I actually only moved out of Mom´s house last November and I still go back to play my Sony Playstation. I´m totally addicted to it!
How do you feel about all the adoring girls who chase you?
It´s something I´m still not used to and honestly I really don´t expect it. When I was in Paris filming what will be my next film, The Man in the Iron Mask, I was chased through the Louvre by a pack of girls - I had to run and run to get away!
What about Tokyo? We heard girls there were declaring they were ready to die for you!
Yeah, we had to have police protection as there were thousands of hysterical girls surrounding the theater. It´s great to get that kind of attention, but it´s also strange at the same time because you don´t actually know these people individually.
What about your showbiz pals - do you spend a lot of time with them, too?
I spend most of my time with my boyhood pals from Los Angeles. There´s a few of us, like Tobey Maguire, who´s another actor (You can catch him in The Ice Storm, and he also was Leo´s assistant on Titanic).
So you´re a loyal mate, then?
Yes! I´m a good buddy and I fly my friends over when I´m filming on location. When I was in Paris my friends had a car to take them all sightseeing. It was cool cos´ we had a rooftop appartment with a ping pong table and video games which was cool, as I love Playstation.
You tend to play unused characters (The Basketball Diaries, Marvin´s Room, What´s Eating Gilbert Grape?) or romantic types (Romeo & Juliet). Do you take a lot of time deciding which roles to take?
Definitely. The thing is, I really don´t want to become a mainstream movie star, and even with Titanic I was weary at first because James Cameron´s other films included The Terminator and True Lies, which were a bit more action packed than simply acting. But Titanic turned out well. You know I turned down the part of Robin in Batman Forever. I like deep, complexe characters to tackle - I´m really not interested in being a star...
A lot of people still call you "young Leo" and refer to you as a boy. Do you think your last two roles have proved you´re now an adult?
Well, I´m 23 now, and Titanic was, as you call it, an adult part! I´ve read that Kate (Winslet) and Billy (Zane) have referred to me as a man. Billy said the film made a man out of me and Kate has said you can´t call me a boy anymore!
So does that mean you´re all grown up now?
Ha ha, I´m not sure about that. You´d better ask the people I´ve worked with! Let´s just say being a clown comes naturally! I suppose it´s the best way to get to know the other actors or actresses for the first time, by being yourself, and I think I have a great sense of humour - but as soon as the cameras are on me I´ll be deadly serious. After all, it´s my work!
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