Sharon Stone Saved Leonardo DiCaprio’s Career by Fighting With the Studio and Paying the Oscar Winner From Her Own Salary to Cast Him
A-lister Leonardo DiCaprio has an incredible story behind one of his movies in which Sharon Stone helped him and ultimately contributed toward him becoming a megastar.
Leonardo DiCaprio is now Hollywood’s one of the most lauded actors who also succeed in being recognized globally. However, this success wasn’t a breeze, and DiCaprio would have lost his role in the 1995 movie The Quick And The Dead if Sharon Stone hadn’t paid his wages. The megastar has recently expressed his gratitude toward the actress who helped DiCaprio when he was just 21 years old.
Leonardo DiCaprio Acknowleges Sharon Stone’s Support
While Leonardo DiCaprio was just a rising star at the age of 21, Sharon Stone was already an acclaimed figure in the world of entertainment who discovered DiCaprio’s impeccable acting skills and fought with the maker and studio to cast him in her movie The Quick And The Dead. However, as the Don’t Look Up star was a new face, the brass at TriStar Pictures was distrustful of hiring an unknown.
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But Stone didn’t give up and decided to pay DiCaprio’s wage through her pocket and her plan worked. In her memoir The Beauty of Living Twice, Sharon Stone wrote: “The boy Leo was the only one who really nailed in the audition. The studio told me, if I wanted him so much, I could pay him out of my own salary. So, I did.” Explaining that DiCaprio’s audition was beyond average which he undeniably proved to be true.
During an interview with E! News, Leonardo DiCaprio thanked Stone and said:
“I have thanked her many times. I don’t know if I sent her an actual physical thank-you gift, but I cannot thank her enough.”
The Killers of The Flower Moon star expressed immense appreciation and gratitude for Sharon Stone and also mentioned that she handpicked him and Russell Crowe for their roles. DiCaprio acknowledged Stone for providing other actors with incredible opportunities in the industry. The Quick And The Dead wasn’t a box-office hit but later developed a cult fanbase.
Two Years Later James Cameron Cast Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic
Impressed by Leonardo DiCaprio’s acting talent, renowned and one of the finest directors in the world James Cameron cast the rising star in Titanic which made him a megastar overnight. DiCaprio played Jack Dawson alongside Kate Winslet in the leading roles. Cameron’s movie became a cultural phenomenon and earned the actor a huge fanbase, making him a household name in the industry.
However, according to James Cameron, DiCaprio almost lost the role of Jack until he understood how giant Titanic was. He shared in an interview with GQ about what he said to the actor when he was barely paying attention to the opportunity:
“A giant movie that is going to take two years of my life, and you’ll be gone doing five other things while I’m doing post-production. So I’m not going to f— it up by making the wrong decision in casting. So you’re going to read, or you’re not going to get the part.”
After hearing the director’s straightforward thoughts on making his giant movie a hit at any cost, the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star understood the impact of his role and the rest is history!
The Quick And The Dead is available to stream on Prime Video.
