Leonardo DiCaprio has come a long way since his 90s teen hearthrob days, choosing meatier roles that really showcase his acting chops. He finally earned an Oscar a few years ago and is likely to get nominated again for his role in Quentin Tarentio’s new film Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood, which opens this weekend.
And while the actor is extremely outspoken on climate change and social justice issues, that doesn’t seem to be enough for some critics, who say he needs a “career check” because he’s not working with enough female directors.
Guy Lodge, film critic for The Guardian and Variety, posted a lengthy criticism of the actor on Twitter, noting that he hasn’t worked with a female director since 1995.
This is all well and good, and some fine work has come out of it, but I wouldn’t call his choices adventurous either: huge studio prestige productions with established male directors. https://t.co/a1MJo04T9y
— Guy Lodge (@GuyLodge) July 22, 2019
Anyway, I like that he's choosy, and resistant to franchise fodder: he's played his career well. But at this level of stardom, he has the clout to get riskier ideas (and talents) off the ground.
— Guy Lodge (@GuyLodge) July 22, 2019
Other critics agreed with Lodge, saying he doesn’t risk anything by working with the directors he does.
“He is the safest actor in Hollywood. Not that many major American names on his level truly take risky or dangerous roles, but I wouldn’t say he risks much working consistently with Scorsese, QT, Inarritu, etc.,” tweeted Kayleigh Donaldson, a critic for Screen Rant.
He is the safest actor in Hollywood. Not that many major American names on his level truly take risky or dangerous roles, but I wouldn't say he risks much working consistently with Scorsese, QT, Inarritu, etc.
— Kayleigh Donaldson (@Ceilidhann) July 22, 2019
Zoe Kazan, actress and writer of The Big Sick weighed in as well.
“Yes, there are more male filmmakers out there, especially ones being handed a mantle of power,” Kazan wrote on Twitter. “But given how many female directors I’ve worked with in my relatively short career, it seems like a real choice so many of these male movie stars have made, not to work with any/many.”
Yes, there are more male filmmakers out there, especially ones being handed a mantle of power. But given how many female directors I’ve worked with in my relatively short career, it seems like a real *choice* so many of these male movie stars have made, not to work with any/many
— zoe kazan (@zoeinthecities) July 22, 2019
“The reason this matters is that there are only a handful of movie stars who can get a film of a certain budget financed. So how they use their power, whose stories they get behind … it has an impact on what ends up on the screen,” she continued.
anyway, *he* is not alone in this by any stretch of the imagination! there’s a slew of dudes (and women!) who could do a lot better.
— zoe kazan (@zoeinthecities) July 22, 2019
Maybe female writers and directors are not sending the kind of material he wants to work with Leo’s way? Have these critics thought of that? He shouldn’t take a role or work with a director based on gender. How dumb is that?
Not everything is sexist. Wish these Hollywood types would learn that.