Leonardo DiCaprio has reflected on the chaotic, rule-free energy behind The Wolf of Wall Street, lifting the lid on one of the most iconic performances of his career as he was named TIME’s Entertainer of the Year.
Speaking about working with director Martin Scorsese, DiCaprio explained to TIME that the film was deliberately designed to feel excessive and unrestrained, mirroring the real-life excesses of disgraced stockbroker Jordan Belfort during the 1990s boom years.
“Marty wanted to show an era of decadence and opulence, and the idea that they were almost like Roman emperors, where there were no rules. I remember one of my biggest moments, I’m not leaving.”
The moment DiCaprio refers to is the now-legendary speech near the end of the film, when Belfort faces a deal with federal authorities that would ban him from the securities industry and effectively dismantle Stratton Oakmont. Instead of accepting his fate, Belfort delivers a defiant rallying cry to his brokers, insisting he will not abandon them or his empire, culminating in the immortal line “I’m not f***ing leaving!”
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DiCaprio revealed that the scene almost didn’t happen as planned due to illness, but the delay ultimately strengthened the performance.
“That moment, I had tonsillitis the day before so we shut down production and had to wait two weeks to do that again, but it was great ’cause then I got to think of all the different beats of that speech.”
Released in 2013, The Wolf of Wall Street became a cultural phenomenon. The film earned over $400 million worldwide, making it Scorsese’s highest-grossing movie at the time, and received widespread critical acclaim for its fearless tone, razor-sharp satire and unapologetic depiction of greed. It scored five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for DiCaprio, Best Supporting Actor for Jonah Hill, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
DiCaprio was particularly effusive in his praise for Hill, whose performance as Donnie Azoff became one of the film’s standout elements.
“Those speeches were things I rehearsed for a long period of time but it was amazing to have a partner like Jonah alongside me. He’s one of the great improvisational actors I’ve ever worked with. The stuff with Jonah was, to me, the most magical, titillating moments in the film. We never knew what direction the scene would take at any given moment.”
Critics hailed the film as both exhilarating and unsettling, with many praising its ability to seduce audiences with excess while simultaneously exposing the moral rot beneath it. Over a decade on, The Wolf of Wall Street remains a defining work in DiCaprio’s filmography — a performance that helped cement his status as one of the most fearless leading actors of his generation, long before his eventual Oscar win for The Revenant.
@awardshowarchive Leonardo DiCaprio winning an Oscar was something that was long overdue ##cmafestshm##leonardodicaprio##oscars##academyawards##bestmoments##film##tv##awardsseason##wolfofwallstreet##dicaprio##therevenantVC: @@Fan Force Films ♬ 3 minutes - StMooY7
