An Oscar-winning actor, Leonardo DiCaprio has a successful career spanning over three decades. He is appreciated for his talent by critics and fans likewise, and is especially a favorite of acting coaches, who use him for examples. However, there are a few roles that he declined which later became major successes.
The projects listed in this article are quite popular, but Leonardo DiCaprio declined them due to busy schedules or other similar reasons. We can never be sure how they would have turned out if he had acted in them, but they would’ve been interesting in their own way.
5 major movies Leonardo DiCaprio declined
The Titanic famed actor is well-known for many of his roles. His name is often used synonymously for Shakespeare’s Romeo from Romeo + Juliet, Jay Gatsby from The Great Gatsby, or Jordan Belfort from The Wolf of Street.
It is hard to imagine anybody else playing these roles and similarly it is hard to imagine DiCaprio playing Max in Hocus Pocus or Peter Parker in Spider-Man. Without further ado, let’s see five major roles that Leonardo DiCaprio declined.
1) Spider-Man (2002)
Genre: Action Fantasy
Cast: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and Willem Dafoe
Spider-Man (2002) followed Peter Parker, whose life changes when he is bitten by a genetically altered spider. He needs to manage his life with newfound superpowers while also saving the world from Green Goblin, an evil manic.
The first big-budget cinematic appearance of the superhero went through multiple changes. Initially, James Cameron wrote for the film and wanted to cast Leonardo DiCaprio as the superhero. However, the latter eventually declined this offer and recommended his long-time friend, Tobey Maguire.
2) The Matrix (1999)
Genre: Sci-Fi Action
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Laurence Fishburne
Thomas Anderson is led to fight a war against powerful computers who have created his reality through a system called Matrix. Not only does he have to fight against the supercomputers, but also tackle a different reality than what he knew.
The defining movie for special effects at the time, The Matrix is hard to imagine without Keanu Reeves as Neo. However, the film was offered to many other stars before Reeves, including Will Smith and Brad Pitt. It was offered to Leonardo DiCaprio as well, but he declined the offer as he didn’t want to do another VFX film right after Titanic.
3) Hocus Pocus (1993)
Genre: Horror Comedy
Cast: Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler, and Omri Katz
The horror-comedy film Hocus Pocus follows a teenage boy named Max in Salem Massachusetts as he accidentally resurrects three comedic and villainous witches on the night of Halloween.
The Halloween staple film is a cult classic among millenials. Leonardo DiCaprio was offered a chance to establish himself in the spooky memories of fans by playing Max. However, the actor declined the role to instead star in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape alongside Johnny Depp.
4) The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Genre: Crime Thriller
Cast: Matt Damon, Jude Law, and Gwyneth Paltrow
The Talented Mr. Ripley follows the story of Tom Ripley who goes to unheard lengths to impersonate Dickie. Meanwhile, the latter is leading a lavish lifestyle in Venice and refuses to return to the US as a wealthy heir.
The five Oscars nominee and critically acclaimed film The Talented Mr. Ripley were first offered to Leonardo DiCaprio. However, he declined to play Tom Ripley and it eventually went to become a defining role for Matt Damon. DiCaprio didn’t star in any films that year.
5) Boogie Nights (1997)
Genre: Indie Drama
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds, and Julianna Moore
Boogie Nights is set in 1977 when an adult film director Jack Horner discovers busboy Eddie Adams. Horner transforms Adams’s life making him an adult film sensation under the name of Dirk Diggler.
Boogie Nights is a defining film for director Paul Thomas Anderson as well as lead Mark Wahlberg. However, the lead character Eddie Adams, a high school dropout turned adult movie star was first offered to Leonardo DiCaprio. The star had to decline the movie early in his career as he was signed to play Jack Dawson, a passenger in the movie Titanic.
Apart from these, there were many other major projects including Batman Forever and American Psycho where Leonardo DiCaprio was the initial choice. Nevertheless, the star paved his way with many significant roles.
Which other roles would you’ve enjoyed watching Leonardo DiCaprio play? Let us know in the comments below and follow Spiel Times for more interesting listicles covering your favorite actors and movies.
