Leonardo DiCaprio may be one of the biggest movie stars on the planet, but behind the Oscars, yachts, and red carpets, the actor admits he’s still learning how to keep his sanity under the spotlight.
Now 51, the Titanic legend and environmental activist opened up to Credit: Esquire about the hidden pressures of fame and why he’s so often seen shielding his face in public with hats, sunglasses, and masks.
“I’ve always asked myself, ‘How do I sustain a long career?’” DiCaprio said. “I love what I do, but I believe the key to longevity is to step out of the public eye whenever possible. You have to disappear as much as you can.”
The Oscar-winning star—whose iconic roles include The Wolf of Wall Street, Catch Me If You Can, and The Revenant—has made “flying under the radar” an art form. During Jeff Bezos’ ultra-exclusive Venice wedding last summer, cameras barely caught DiCaprio at all—just a shadowy shot of his baseball cap pulled low over his face.
He explained that his elusive behavior isn’t just about privacy—it’s strategic.
“It’s a balancing act,” DiCaprio told TIME. “You step into the spotlight when you have something meaningful to say or show. Otherwise, blend into the background.”
The actor, who first rose to fame in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?, said he’s continued wearing face masks long after the pandemic—not just for health, but for peace of mind. “It’s become a way to move through life with some normalcy,” he admitted.
But even with decades of acclaim, DiCaprio confesses that he’s not immune to career regrets. His biggest? Turning down the role that made Mark Wahlberg a household name.
“My biggest regret is not doing Boogie Nights,” DiCaprio told Credit: Esquire. “It was a defining movie of my generation. I can’t picture anyone but Mark in that role now—but when I finally saw it, I realized it was a masterpiece.”
With three Golden Globes, one Oscar, and a career spanning over three decades, DiCaprio seems to have found the secret balance between stardom and solitude. Even if he occasionally hides under a baseball cap, there’s no disguising that he remains one of Hollywood’s most respected—and enigmatic—icons.
