Leonardo DiCaprio’s Advice for Jennifer Lawrence Before Scorsese Film
Before Jennifer Lawrence teams up with Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio shares his hard-earned insights from years of working with the legendary director. Discover what DiCaprio believes Lawrence should know before stepping onto Scorsese’s set.
Leonardo DiCaprio recently offered Jennifer Lawrence some seasoned advice as she gears up to work with Martin Scorsese for the first time. Drawing from his own long-standing collaboration with the acclaimed filmmaker, DiCaprio shared what Lawrence should expect when stepping into Scorsese’s creative world. Their conversation, part of a candid Actors on Actors session, revealed the unique ways Scorsese prepares his cast and the kind of environment Lawrence is about to enter.
Scorsese’s Unique Approach to Directing
As Lawrence prepares to join Scorsese for the adaptation of What Happens at Night, DiCaprio explained that the director ’s process is deeply rooted in film history. According to DiCaprio, Scorsese often provides his actors with a stack of DVDs, each packed with references and inspiration for the project at hand. He’s known to organize private screenings, sometimes just to highlight a single scene or a particular pacing technique he wants to capture.
“He’s going to give you a lot of film references,”
DiCaprio noted, emphasizing that these references usually arrive
“in the form of a DVD.”
He added a practical tip:
“And if you don’t have a DVD player, get one…. He’ll have screenings sometimes for just one sequence in a movie. If there’s something that he wants you to capture from an old film or the pacing of something, you might have a screening of a whole film just for a specific scene that he wants to see. We might see some Japanese ghost films for reference, just to get the tone of it. You’re going to have an amazing time.”
Reflecting on Past Projects and New Challenges
The discussion also touched on their past and upcoming projects. Lawrence praised DiCaprio’s performance in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, calling it
“the greatest performance I’ve ever seen,”
though DiCaprio brushed off the compliment with a laugh. Their chat moved from reflections on Titanic —with DiCaprio admitting,
“No. I haven’t seen it in forever.”
—to the challenges of new roles and the importance of stepping outside their comfort zones.
Lawrence opened up about her upcoming film Die, My Love, sharing that Scorsese himself encouraged her to adapt Ariana Harwicz’s novel after reading it in his book club.
“You should make this into a movie and star in it.”
Initially, Lawrence struggled to see how the book could work on screen, but she realized it needed a poetic touch, which director Lynne Ramsay could provide. Both actors agreed that taking on projects that push boundaries is what keeps their work exciting.
DiCaprio and Lawrence Set to Star in Scorsese’s Next Feature
Beyond the advice, the real headline is that DiCaprio and Lawrence are officially teaming up under Scorsese’s direction for What Happens at Night. The film, backed by Apple Original Films and StudioCanal, is set to begin production soon. The story follows a married couple traveling through Europe to adopt a child, only to find themselves in a mysterious hotel where their trust and identities are put to the test by a cast of strange characters.
With both stars known for choosing roles that challenge them, their collaboration with Scorsese promises to deliver something truly memorable for audiences.