When Leonardo DiCaprio’s First Movie Role Was Cut Entirely After He Botched Lines at Age 12: “My First Role, I’m Actually Not In At All”
At just 12, Leonardo DiCaprio’s first movie role in Poison Ivy was cut entirely after he flubbed his lines, but the early setback only fueled the rise of one of Hollywood’s greatest stars.
When 12-Year-Old Leonardo DiCaprio’s First Movie Role Was Completely Cut After A Line Flub(Photo Credit –Facebook)
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Way before he was a global star, Leonardo DiCaprio faced an early setback on a film set. At just 12, the actor was given his first film role in Poison Ivy (1992), starring Drew Barrymore and Sara Gilbert.
Though the young star had a speaking part, his lines didn’t make it to the final cut. The young actor flubbed his monologue, and his scene was shortened. Later, it was completely removed during editing. Looking back, DiCaprio recalled how his feature debut ended without a trace. That moment, although barely visible, marked the start of a career that would soon turn into something substantial!
Leo’s First Film Role Cut After Line Flub
Leonardo DiCaprio’s original entry into feature films didn’t go as planned. Before Critters 3, the first credited film of his career, the actor was cast in a small part for Poison Ivy, directed by Katt Shea. He played a character named “Guy,” who was written into a scene with Sara Gilbert’s character, Sylvie.
Speaking on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast (per Entertainment Weekly), DiCaprio recalled the day he stepped onto a movie set for the first time. “My first role in an actual movie was with Sara Gilbert and Drew Barrymore, and it was called Poison Ivy,” he said. “And I had a whole monologue insulting Sara Gilbert, and I messed up my lines. I think I was 12 or 13 years old.”
16-year-old Leonardo DiCaprio’s first interview on the set of “Growing Pains” in 1991 pic.twitter.com/RoNAM3fAS8
The monologue was quickly dropped after he stumbled through the dialogue. The crew tried to salvage the moment by shrinking his part to a single word. “Screwed up my lines and then they said, ‘OK, kid, just walk in and look at her and say, ‘Problems,’” DiCaprio said. “I said, ‘Just problems?’ And I walked in and said, ‘Problems’. That was my line, and then they cut that out of the movie. So, I’m not in the movie at all. My first role, I’m actually not in at all. They completely edited me out.”
Although DiCaprio mentioned he was completely removed, the final cut includes a brief shot. It was roughly two seconds, where he is seen walking through a doorway.
By the time Poison Ivy hit theaters in 1992, DiCaprio had already appeared in Critters 3, a direct-to-video horror film released in December 1991. That campy title became his official debut, though he later called it “possibly one of the worst films of all time.”
The failed Poison Ivy scene didn’t hold him back. Less than a year later, the artist landed What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, earning an Oscar nod at 19. His first movie role may have been cut, but his career was just getting started!
