Aviator on Arte: Leonardo DiCaprio was “not afraid of madness”

DiCaprio plays Howard Hughes in this biopic by Martin Scorsese.

Second collaboration between Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese, Aviator is rebroadcast this Sunday evening on Arte, followed by the documentary Martin Scorsese: the Italian-American (also visible in streaming on Arte.TV). In 2005, DiCaprio was on the cover of the 335th issue of First for the release of the film. In addition to an interview with Scorsese, who explained what attracted him to this Howard Hughues biopic, there was an interview with the star, who himself had called on the filmmaker after having worked under his direction in Gangs of New York. Here is an excerpt.

Proposing that Scorsese, well known for his fear of flying, make a film called Aviator, it had to be done…
Yes, that’s what I found interesting! I think the movie only made his phobia worse! By offering him the script, I knew that there were themes that could touch him, such as the golden age of Hollywood or this tragic figure that was Hughes, a typically Scorsesian character. But I thought the aviation aspect would put him off. One day he said to me: “Send me anyway the script. I didn’t know anything about boxing and I did Raging Bull well!”

I think he admires Hughes because he was fearless. He was both an incredible businessman who ruled over a veritable empire, but also a director, a producer, the Casanova of his time… At the same time, he was an adventurer who built plane prototypes that he piloted himself, crashed with them, immediately rebuilt others, broke a new speed record, etc. He was taking enormous risks and yet he was terrified of doorknobs and germs…

Are you afraid of madness?
Hughes’ madness was all the more frightening because it was undiagnosed at the time. He couldn’t get treatment. We redid the take twenty-five times where I repeat “Show me all the blueprints” over and over again. I thought I was going to end up in a straitjacket! But no, I’m not afraid of madness.

And afraid of being alone in front of the camera? You have never carried so many scenes on your shoulders…
I love being alone with the character, internalizing everything. My favorite movies, like Taxi Driver Or The Bicycle Thiefshow characters alone facing the camera. The viewer identifies a thousand times more. In Taxi DriverTravis Bickle is disturbed but we empathize with him, we feel compassion. Have you noticed that the more the film goes on, the less abnormal his behavior seems? It’s almost like virtual reality…

It seems like Scorsese made you grow, including physically.
I had to be credible to play Hughes at 40, that’s all. I didn’t make this film to prove that I could play mature men and no longer be “the kid from Titanic.” Playing a teenage role again would pose no problem for me.

Comments collected by Stéphanie Lamome.