“It was a profound movie of my generation. I can’t imagine anyone but Mark in it,” Leo told PTA. “When I finally got to see that movie, I just thought it was a masterpiece. It’s ironic that you’re the person asking that question [about biggest regrets], but it’s true.”
For context, Boogie Nights came out in 1997, and Leo turned down the raunchy role because he’d already signed on for a little movie called Titanic — and you hardly need to be a film expert to know that that was the role that catapulted Leo into a new stratosphere of celebrity.
So, when he made those comments about Boogie Nights, some wondered if he was alluding to regrets about opting to do Titanic instead. But now, the 51-year-old actor has set the record straight.
Asked if he did, in fact, have “any regrets about choosing Titanic” over Boogie Nights in a new interview with Deadline, Leo said: “No regrets. I look back at that film and realize the thanks and the appreciation that I have for being a part of it, and to have been able to be in this incredibly fortunate position, and not only to have been a part of that movie, but to be able to be the conductor of my own choices since.”
Acknowledging that there may have been some confusion, he clarified what he meant by his Boogie Nights remark in Esquire, saying that it “came from the standpoint of just being a fan of [PTA’s] work for so long.”
“I don’t think anyone could have done a better job than Mark Wahlberg in that movie, so I said it from the perspective of being just a really sincere fan and then watching the way Paul has progressed as a storyteller with these very esoteric, existential films he’s made since then that keep you thinking,” he continued. “Boogie Nights was the launching pad for a new artist. So, it’s less about that specific film and more about wanting to have worked with Paul.”
Nearly 30 years after he turned down Boogie Nights, Leo finally got his chance to work with Paul on One Battle After Another this year. The action-thriller is being lauded as one of the best films of 2025 and looks likely to score Leo another Oscar nomination — maybe even a win.
Everything works out just as it should! No regrets for Mr. DiCaprio. You can read his full Deadline interview here.