The actor was director Paul Thomas Anderson’s first choice to play iconic porn star Dirk Diggler in the 1997 drama but he decided to make James Cameron’s epic Titanic instead.
The role went to Mark Wahlberg making him an overnight star and although Titanic went on to win 11 Oscars and become the highest-grossing film of all time, Leonardo wishes he had been able to take on both characters.
“Probably the only film I was offered and turned down but now wish I had made is Boogie Nights,” Leonardo told Australian radio programme the Kyle and Jackie O show. “The first time I met Paul Anderson to discuss that role I hadn’t seen any of his previous work. Now I’ve seen a lot of it and I really liked that film.”
Leonardo can currently be seen in Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending thriller Inception. The film has received rave reviews and excellent box office figures but the star says he never has a clue whether his movies will be flops or triumphs.
“I never have an inkling that my films will do well,” he said. “I just go into each film with the same intent – to come highly prepared but be flexible to what happens on the day. You never know how audiences and critics are going to perceive what you do. All I know that is on the day, I tried my hardest.”
