Earlier than Romeo + Juliet turned the wild, modern-day Shakespeare remix we nonetheless speak about, it practically spun off in a completely totally different path – on rollerblades. Yep, that nearly occurred. And 21-year-old Leonardo DiCaprio was the one who shut it down earlier than it might crash the entire vibe.
Within the mid-90s, Baz Luhrmann had a imaginative and prescient: Shakespeare with a twist. Suppose weapons as an alternative of swords, modern automobiles, heavy non secular symbolism, and chaotic celebration scenes. However someplace in that brainstorm, rollerblades obtained tossed in. However DiCaprio wasn’t having it.
“Originally after we had been simply beginning out, he needed to make plenty of the characters go round on rollerblades and I rapidly stated no,” DiCaprio recalled years later (by way of Cheat Sheet). That decision modified every part. Romeo + Juliet may need felt extra like a 90s music video than a gritty love story with out it.
Leonardo DiCaprio wasn’t even into the thought initially. Luhrmann had given him the script, however a conventional Shakespeare flick? Exhausting cross. What modified his thoughts? A visit to Australia and a workshop that confirmed him the chaos Luhrmann had in thoughts – weapons, costumes, fashionable settings. Nonetheless, the Django Unchained star wasn’t positive till day one on set, when it lastly clicked.
He wasn’t simply there to look dreamy in a Hawaiian shirt. DiCaprio dove deep into Romeo’s mindset and introduced out the sting within the character. He described Romeo not as a sappy romantic however somebody who risked all of it, his household, his life, for a girl he barely knew. That darker, impulsive layer? All a part of the vitality DiCaprio pushed for behind the scenes.
Baz Luhrmann later admitted he hadn’t even heard of DiCaprio when casting started. Nonetheless, as soon as Leo flew to Australia and helped assemble a video mock-up of the movie, it turned obvious he was Romeo. With out him, Luhrmann stated, the movie wouldn’t have occurred.
And this wasn’t a one-time factor. Years later, when Luhrmann approached DiCaprio once more for The Nice Gatsby, it was déjà vu. Similar sluggish course of. Similar quiet depth. As a result of the actor by no means jumped into roles calmly. And as Luhrmann put it, he needed to “put on him down” simply to get him again on board.
So yeah, Romeo + Juliet gave us angel wings, choirboys with pistols, and a killer soundtrack, however we now have Leonardo DiCaprio to thank for preserving it from turning right into a full-blown curler derby. His early instincts helped steer the chaos in the fitting path. And the outcome? A contemporary tragedy that also hits onerous, many years later.
For extra such tales, take a look at Hollywood Information
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