Titanic Star Leonardo DiCaprio Struggles With OCD, Developed Fear as a Child
Leonardo DiCaprio is without a doubt one of the most talented actors in the business. He has demonstrated, over the years, that he deserves to be listed among the highest-paid actors in the world by accepting such iconic roles as Jack Dawson, Howard Hughes, Edward Daniels, Jay Gatsby, etc.
Millions of people throughout the world adore the actor, who is frequently commended for his efforts to protect the environment because, in his opinion, global warming is the planet’s greatest environmental threat. When he first started working, Leonardo DiCaprio’s illness made life difficult for him.
Also read: “I am screaming”: $300M Rich Leonardo DiCaprio Was Fired for Being Excited About an Acting Job
Leonardo DiCaprio admits to having OCD in a severe way
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) when he was a child and has admitted to having a fear of germs which makes him want to wash his hands frequently.
DiCaprio opened up about his diagnosis in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter via Mantra Care; “I have obsessive-compulsive disorder in a very severe way.” According to Mantra Care, the actor was 11 years old when he realized that he had OCD as he would touch things a certain number of times or else he would feel anxious.
Back in 2005, the actor said, according to Express UK,
“My thing was not stepping on cracks, or not stepping on certain things. Sometimes it took me 10 minutes to get to the set because I’d be pacing back and forth, stepping on gum stains.”
According to an interview with the Telegraph, DiCaprio said, “I’m able to say at some point, ‘OK, you’re being ridiculous, stop stepping on every gum stain you see. You don’t need to walk 20 feet back and put your foot on that thing. I remember my make-up artist and assistant walking me to The Aviator set and going, ‘Oh God, we’re going to need 10 minutes to get him there because he has to walk back and step on that thing, touch that door, and walk in and out again.”
He added that he let himself do it because he wanted it to come out and he was trying to be the character, but it became bothersome and continued after the filming.
Leonardo DiCaprio says moving to Los Angeles made his OCD much worse
The actor revealed, according to Mantra Care, that when he moved to Los Angeles at the age of 18, the change of environment was very tough on him and his OCD had become much worse than he expected.
As his symptoms started to grow worse and made him reclusive, the actor started to avoid going to events and social gatherings and preferred to stay at home. He noted that his OCD had made it difficult for him to focus on work, which is why he had once decided to quit acting but would often take breaks in the middle of shots to calm himself.
But working on 2004’s The Aviator made a shift in his life as he was so focused on playing that part that he forgot to focus on his OCD. With time, medication, and therapy, DiCaprio’s OCD symptoms started to improve and thus he started to attend social gatherings and events.
The actor’s focus improved and he was able to work with much more concentration. As a result, the movie was a success and he was highly praised for his acting in which he played the role of Howard Hughes, who spent his whole life with OCD.
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Leonardo DiCaprio will appear in Martin Scorsese’s Upcoming Film
After appearing in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, Leonardo DiCaprio is all set to appear in the director’s next movie titled The Wager. The Wager is an adaptation of David Grann’s 2023 book The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder.
During a sitdown interview with Indie Wire, the director said he is currently not sure what part DiCaprio will play in the upcoming movie and right now he is focusing on promoting Killers of the Flower Moon since the writer’s strike had come to an end but the actors’ strike is on.
He said, “Depending on how we get the script together. I’m not sure [if Leo will play Lieutenant Byron or the Crazy Captain]. There are a lot of good parts. [This is less than 100% until I have the script]. That’s the case. That’s normal. Like, for example, I don’t think we would have done Killers if we hadn’t made that change.”
Killers of the Flower Moon is playing in theatres currently and will soon stream on Apple TV+.
