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Leonardo DiCaprio revisits the regret he once talked about, and reveals why choosing 'Titanic' over 'Boogie Nights' was the turning point
Highlights:
- Leonardo DiCaprio clears up old remarks about turning down Boogie Nights.
- Says he has “no regrets” choosing Titanic at that point in his life.
- Praises Mark Wahlberg and director Paul Thomas Anderson.
- Talks about how Titanic shaped his career and choices later.
Leonardo DiCaprio has spoken again about the choice that shaped his early career, stepping into Titanic instead of Boogie Nights. The actor said he holds “no regrets”, calling James Cameron’s 1997 epic a turning point and an opportunity that set up everything that followed.
Leonardo DiCaprio reflects on how Titanic reshaped his early career Getty Images
Why Leonardo DiCaprio keeps revisiting the Boogie Nights question
The question has followed him for years. He once said in an old interview that not doing Boogie Nights felt like a regret, and the remark stuck. When he spoke to Deadline recently, he said the comment was never about losing a role. It came from a place of admiration for Paul Thomas Anderson, whose work he had followed since he was young.
He explained that the earlier “regret” line came during a chat about films that shaped him. He was talking directly to Anderson at the time, which coloured the answer. It was not meant as a confession or a dig at his own choices. DiCaprio also pointed out something else: Mark Wahlberg’s performance. He said Wahlberg fit the role of Dirk Diggler in a way that felt meant to be, and he could not picture anyone replacing that.
Leonardo DiCaprio opens up about working with Paul Thomas Anderson years after turning down Boogie NightsGetty Images
How Titanic changed Leonardo DiCaprio’s path
When DiCaprio thinks about that period now, he talks mostly about what Titanic gave him. The film became a global event. It won 11 Oscars, earned more than £1.7 billion and made him one of the most recognised faces of the late ’90s.
He said the years after the release were the first time he felt he could choose his own projects without being boxed in. That freedom shaped the next stage of his work, from The Beach to Catch Me If You Can and later The Departed. He called that freedom “the greatest gift.”
"Titanic" star Leonardo DiCaprio attends the Golden Globe Awards January 18, 1998 Getty Images
What Leonardo DiCaprio says about working with Paul Thomas Anderson now
The interesting part is that he eventually worked with Anderson anyway. Their recent film One Battle After Another, released in September, marked their first full collaboration. The film also stars Sean Penn, Teyana Taylor and Benicio del Toro.
He said Anderson’s films still push him, and that watching the director’s shift into more experimental stories over the years has been something he has followed closely.
Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio attend a in-conversation at BFI Southbank discussing One Battle After AnotherGetty Images
What next
DiCaprio’s look back at the Titanic decision feels settled now. No regret, no fuss, just a choice that shaped his life, and a clear appreciation for the work he eventually did with Anderson. The story ends there, on a calm note, and the films continue to speak for themselves.
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