Deadline on Wednesday that he grew tired of waiting for DiCaprio to age up for the role.“That was so weird about James Dean,” Mann said.“It was a brilliant screenplay.
And then it’s who the hell could play James Dean? And I found a chap who could play James Dean, but he was too young. It was Leo.”The “Thief” director revealed that DiCaprio even read for the part when he was a teen, likely around the time between “Growing Pains” and “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.”“We did a screen test that’s quite amazing.
I think he must’ve been 19 at the time,” Mann said. “And from one angle, he totally had it with him. I mean, it’s brilliance.” Mann noted how “The Great Gatsby” star could instantly change his facial expressions and turn into the “Rebel Without a Cause” actor.“He would turn his face in one direction and we see a vision of James Dean, and then he’d turn his face another direction and it’s no, that’s a young kid.
He respectfully undid the James Dean bio for me,” Mann explained.DiCaprio cemented himself as part of the Hollywood A-list with career-making turns in ’90s projects such as “The Basketball Diaries,” “Romeo + Juliet” and “Titanic.” By the time DiCaprio made the 1997 epic romance-disaster flick, he was 22.
Read more on nypost.com