Why Leonardo DiCaprio Turned Down Star Wars

2 minute read

Can you imagine Leonardo DiCaprio, as a young heroic Jedi Knight?

In a recent interview with ShortList, DiCaprio reveals it was almost a possibility, until he turned down the chance to play Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequels.

“I did have a meeting with George Lucas about that, yes,” the 41-year-old said. “[I] just didn’t feel ready to take that dive. At that point.” The role eventually went to Hayden Christensen.

The Revenant star also dished on other roles he had conversations about, but never actually took on, saying that he didn’t feel prepared for those at the time either. Some of the roles include Robin in Batman Forever and Peter Parker in Spider-Man.

While he may have passed on some big roles, the Oscar nominee is open to other potential blockbusters in the future, including playing a superhero.

“You never know. You never know,” he said. “They’re getting better and better as far as complex characters in these movies. I haven’t yet. But no, I don’t rule out anything.”

Regardless of what he takes on next, DiCaprio told ShortList he’s learned from his experiences working with some of the credits and says that he feels luck to have just been given a chance in this industry.

“It’s sometimes emotional watching [What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and This Boy’s Life] because I feel like I’m that kid again,” he said. “Really just incredibly happy to have gotten a shot. So I remember a lot of those moments on set like they were yesterday, especially working with people like De Niro and [Johnny] Depp at that age.

“It was like winning the lottery.”

This article originally appeared on People.com.

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