DiCaprio later admitted that not heeding the advice was his biggest career regret.
The movie’s main character, an adult film star, was ultimately played by Mark Wahlberg, but not before Reilly put in effort to get Anderson the actor he’d originally wanted for the role.
“Mark Wahlberg’s manager told him, ‘Don’t do it,’” Riley recalled of the unmentionable nature of the film’s plot at the time, as the 1997 dramedy chronicles a naive busboy’s rise to fame as a porn star. “Before Mark was asked to do the movie, Paul really wanted Leo DiCaprio to do it. And I had already done,” Reilly continued, referencing the 1994 film he starred in with DiCaprio and Danson’s wife, Mary Steenburgen.
The movie earned DiCaprio his first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor at just 19 years old. Reilly was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 2003 for his role inDiCaprio said his agents told him that “Titanic” was going to be “pretty big” before he passed on “Boogie Nights. ”“And I knew Leo. I met him when he was 17.
And I was like, ‘Give me the assignment, Paul. I’ll get this guy to do your movie. I’ve known him since he was a kid. ” Reilly said that he gave the pitch his all when he finally had DiCaprio’s ear.
“I go and meet him. And Leo had been offered,” he explained. That 1997 Best Picture winner ended up being by far DiCaprio’s biggest office hit to date.
“I sat down with him on Hillhurst there in Silver Lake, and I was like, ‘Listen, Leo, let me tell you something. That movieis about a boat that sinks. Everyone knows the boat sinks! No one’s going to give a s--t about who’s on the boat.
This guy, this director, is going to be one of the most talented film directors going forward, and you should not miss this opportunity. ’”DiCaprio finally worked with Paul Thomas Anderson in the Oscar-winning film “One Battle After Another” last year.
“He was like, ‘Well, I don’t know. My agents are all they’re saying this is going to be a really big movie and I should do it. ’ And I was like, ‘I’m telling you, man. I’m telling you, I wouldn’t give you a bum steer here.
It’s about a boat that sinks,’” Reilly added.co-star, for the role.
“And so, the rest is history,” Reilly continued, “But then Leo regretted that decision for—I can’t speak for him, but I think that all the success, the massive success that came with that movie was both a blessing and a curse. It was just a lot for a young man. ”to promote their collaboration onBoogie Nights ,” he said.
“It was a profound movie of my generation. I can’t imagine anyone but Mark in it. When I finally got to see that movie, I just thought it was a masterpiece. It’s ironic that you’re the person asking” about regrets, he continued, “but it’s true.
” Reilly said he got a certain satisfaction from seeing Anderson and DiCaprio finally do a film together.won six Oscars this year, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.role, Reilly surmised, “And then finally it happened, this past couple years… So that was very satisfying for me. ”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Mackenzie Phillips Recalls Cocaine Use with Valerie Bertinelli on 'One Day at a Time' SetActress Mackenzie Phillips has detailed her and Valerie Bertinelli's cocaine use during the filming of the beloved sitcom One Day at a Time, clarifying that Bertinelli did not have an addiction. This revelation comes as part of a broader reflection on their friendship and her journey toward sobriety.
Read more »
Ernest Chambers Dead: 'Smothers Brothers' Writer-Producer & 11-Time Emmy NomineeErnest Chambers died May 30, 2026 at 97. An 11-time Emmy nominee, he was a TV writer-producer on the Smothers Brothers show and dozens of other programs.
Read more »
Sid Miller, Dem ag chief nominee to speak at data center forumThe Republican said he agreed to speak at the event prior to Clayton Tucker’s involvement because it was “the right thing to do.” Both are critics of data center construction in Texas.
Read more »
GOP embraces Paxton on first D.C. visit as Texas Senate nomineeThe attorney general fundraised with Republican senators and met with rival-turned-ally John Thune, the Senate majority leader who had backed Sen. John Cornyn.
Read more »