Leonardo DiCaprio once worked alongside Steven Spielberg in the 2002 hit Catch Me if You Can. The film saw DiCaprio being paired up with Jennifer Garner, who might not have been involved in the film if not for the actor.
Leonardo DiCaprio begged Steven Spielberg to include his scene with Jennifer Garner in ‘Catch Me if You Can’
Garner initially had DiCaprio to thank for her role in the movie, as her scene wasn’t in the original Catch Me If You Can script. Portraying Abagnale in the flick, DiCaprio read the con-man’s semi-autobiography to prepare for the role. During his read-through, the Departed actor stumbled onto a part in the book that left him in tears.
“I learned about this episode from Frank’s life in preparation for the role, it is mentioned in his autobiography and audio seminars,” DiCaprio once said according to VK. “You know, it was kind of like a book on film in which he told stories from his real life. To be honest, this case made me laugh almost to tears ! You have no idea ! After all it was actually incredibly unique, bright and, I would even say a grand segment from Frank’s life.”
DiCaprio hoped to be able to add the scene in Spielberg’s movie.
“I called Steven and begged him to include it in the script. And he did, he listened to me ! The episode ended up safely in the movie, not on the floor of the editing room, which I’m unspeakably glad,” he said.
Jennifer Garner called her kiss with Leonardo DiCaprio magical
DiCaprio had nothing but kind words to say about Garner after working alongside the actor for the first time. Garner appeared in the film as a high class sex worker in the movie based on real-life con artist Frank Abagnale Jr.
“Jennifer was very nice. I think she was perfect for this role,” DiCaprio said.
Garner also enjoyed her time with DiCaprio, especially when making out with her co-star. Although she admitted she felt a few nerves before engaging with the Oscar-winner. But she made sure she took certain precautions with her hygiene before doing the intimate scene.
“It was magical,” Garner said according to Anecdotage. “We kissed a whole lot. It was only uncomfortable for the first couple of minutes. Then you’re just going for it, slobbering all over each other and saying, ‘Oh, you have something in your teeth.’ I went through a couple of tins of breath mints.”
Steven Spielberg was nervous about Leonardo DiCaprio’s scene with Jennifer Garner
Garner wasn’t the only one on set experiencing nerves during their scene. Spielberg was also a bit uncomfortable with their moment. But DiCaprio believed Spielberg proved his merits as a director by fixing everything that was wrong with the sequence.
“After all, at first something did not work out for us, the episode ‘did not work’ as it should. I remember Steven got a little nervous, pulled a cigar twice, and then just sat there for five minutes looking up. He was thinking about how to improve the episode. A little thought, he said: ‘We change everything!’. He completely turned the scene. Changed the hotel room, our lines… Added a moment where Jennifer throws playing cards at me,” DiCaprio remembered.
That was all it took for the scene to reach a place that everyone was satisfied with.
“And suddenly everything was fine: the scene turned out great and worked perfectly. This is another confirmation of his skill as a director and filmmaker,” DiCaprio said.
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