Leonardo DiCaprio’s dedication to his craft led to him being sick on set, and it was even kept in the final movie release.
The 48-year-old, who finally bagged an Oscar in 2016 after years of protests from movie fans, has often put acting first over his health. In Quentin Tarantino‘s flick Django Unchained, the star accidentally cut his hand during one dramatic scene. Much to his co-stars’ horror, instead of stopping to seek medical attention, Leo continued on. At first glimpse, you can see the other celebrities‘ reaction before they realize they have to continue on with the script as well. Therefore, the star is no stranger to putting his body to the test when it comes to creating a movie masterpiece.
Leonardo DiCaprio vows to never do it again on set
In Leonardo DiCaprio‘s biopic of fur trapper Hugh Glass, called The Revenant, the actors underwent grueling conditions. The movie was filmed completely out in the open, there were no sets or CGI magic when it came to the background and filming locations. They spent a large part in Canada in the winter, because of the area’s cold and snowy landscape, and other times in South Argentina.
But there was one thing he has promised he won’t do again – and it involves what he ate.
Leo, who has never himself admitted he was vegan, has been in the plant-based scene for numerous years. An advocate on climate change, he has invested cash into plant-based companies, including Beyond Meat. Back in 1998, he also set up the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation to support environmentalism.
Matter of fact, during his 2016 Oscars acceptance speech – which was long overdue – he chose to use the time to speak on climate change. The actor said he saw the threats first hand while filming on location.
However, he wanted to keep things as real as possible on set for the movie.
He was meant to be filmed eating bison flesh, a big part of liver, during the take. But just before cameras rolled, they showed him the fake liver, which Leo thought looked like a ‘pancake’. He wasn’t satisfied this will come across authentically.
“The native American actor I was working with … was eating raw bison flesh the entire day during rehearsal, and [then] they gave me this red gelatinous sort of pancake to eat, and it just didn’t look real,” he said.
“It didn’t look authentic to me.
“I wanted to get the real thing, and it was this giant liver. It was completely disgusting … My reaction is very much on screen, which is a nauseating one.”
Leo throws up the liver in the film after ingesting it, and that wasn’t acting at all. It was his real reaction.
The incredible steps the movie took to avoid CGI
Even the avalanche towards the end of the movie was real. Crews placed strategic bombs at the top of the mountain to force the real avalanche to come crashing down over the cliff’s edge.
In the film, you can see Leo look up to watch the snow tumble when he’s attempting to track down Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy).
It even made the director nervous. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu didn’t want to leave this incredible view to CGI, so they triggered it themselves. They captured the marvelous sight by using a crane on Fortress Mountain. There were barriers put in place to prevent the snow from crashing towards the cast and crew down below.
But Inarritu was still afraid they wouldn’t hold. Luckily they did.
Safe to say, it was just as terrifying as the Lord of the Rings star who came too close to an unexploded bomb on set.
But there was one thing that wasn’t real – thankfully
In one harrowing scene, after being chased by Native Americans, Leo drops off the edge of a cliff with his horse.
Sadly, his companion dies in the fall. Leo’s character, Hugh Glass, is injured. But he manages to get up and get to work. A harsh blizzard and cold front is coming in fast, and he needs to survive the night. This is where Leo does the unthinkable.
The actor is seen cutting open the horse’s carcass, so he can sleep inside for warmth.
Leo told the Today show that it was a set piece. Considering all the other impressive real-life elements, it’s reassuring.
Finally winning his well-deserved Oscar
Several of his successful films has bagged Leo an awards show nomination. But, it took a long while before he was holding the statue in his hand.
The star was up for Best Actor for The Aviator in 2005 and Blood Diamond two years later. He was on the bill again for The Wolf of Wall Street in 2014 and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in 2020. 2016 was his year though for The Revenant. He finally won the award after years of protests from fans.
His next venture, Killers of the Flower Moon, sees him team up with Martin Scorsese. It’s the seventh time the pair have collaborated. They previously worked together on The Aviator, Gangs of New York and The Wolf of Wall Street.
Related Topics
MORE CELEBRITY STORIES
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLHLnpmroaSuwaqwwaKrZ5ufonxzfJFsZmppX2V%2BcLjEqKWaqpSkeqW1wpqnq6GfqHqku8ypo56slaHGbrDIrJ6uq6Seu6h5xLGnnqqZmruksYyopWarlal6rq3DnmShoZ1ivanF0qKamqScrnq0tcKkZg%3D%3D