Leonardo DiCaprio will never ‘direct' because of Martin Scorsese

Leonardo DiCaprio has made it clear that stepping behind the camera as a director is not something he sees in his future, and his reason is rooted in deep admiration for one of cinema’s greatest filmmakers.

The Oscar-winning actor opened up about the topic while speaking with longtime collaborator Martin Scorsese at TIME magazine’s A Year in TIME event in New York City on Dec. 10. 

During the conversation, DiCaprio, 51, admitted that directing has never truly tempted him, largely because he doesn’t believe he could ever measure up to Scorsese’s level of artistry.

“Some people have asked me if I wanted to direct. I'm like, ‘I would never want to direct. I could never do anything close to what Martin Scorsese does. Why would I do that?’” DiCaprio said, drawing laughter and applause from the audience.

While directing may not be on his list, the actor did acknowledge that, looking back, he sometimes wishes he had taken a more observant role on set during his earlier projects. 

Immersed in his performances, he feels he missed chances to fully watch the filmmaking process unfold behind the camera. 

“You play these characters, you try to get into the depth of their soul as much as you possibly can,” he explained, adding that he would have loved to be “much more of a voyeur” and see Scorsese at work from a different perspective. 

“If I look back on anything, I would've loved to have observed that process behind the camera a lot more.”

DiCaprio and Scorsese have collaborated on six films so far, developing a creative relationship built on lengthy preparation and deep discussion.

Reflecting on his journey, DiCaprio called working with Scorsese one of the proudest moments of his life. 

He recalled being introduced to Scorsese’s films at a young age by his father, who encouraged him to aim high. 

That early inspiration, DiCaprio said, shaped his dreams long before he ever imagined sharing a stage, or a conversation, with the legendary director himself.