Hungover Netflix binges get a bad rap. Sure, on the face of it, locking yourself into the foetal position to watch an endless shuffle of Adam Sandler rom-coms doesn’t sound like the best way to spend a weekend. But Leonardo DiCaprio begs to differ. Kind of.
When asked what piece of advice he would give to aspiring actors trying to climb the long, slippery ladder to superstardom, the Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood actor told The Mirror that a fascination with films of past and present is fundamental.
“The cool thing about making movies, and the first thing I say to anyone who asks about working in movies and getting into this industry, is that what you do is burned on to celluloid history for all time,” he said.
“I’m like, ‘Start to watch them. Go and see what has been done before you," he continued. "Try to measure yourself up to some of the greats and then start from there.’
“I endlessly watch movies and I am blown away by what has been done in cinema past.”
Granted, he’s probably referring to the kind of niche mid-century movies praised and plundered by Quentin Tarantino rather than standard streaming fare. The director recently provided a list of old classics for people to watch before Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood, and they were no-doubt on Leo’s homework list, too.
But that isn't to say that the actor didn't have an encyclopaedic knowledge of film already. Back in 2010, long before Boss Baby redefined what a movie could truly hope to be, DiCaprio revealed his five favourite pictures to Esquire: The Bicycle Thief (1949); Taxi Driver (1976); 8 ½ (1963); 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), and East of Eden (1955).
All movies, coincidentally, that are available on streaming sites. So the next time you wake up with a dry mouth and an aching head full of cringing regret, just swap the filler for some Fellini. It could turn out to be the first day of the rest of your life.
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