Leonardo DiCaprio Reveals the Unforgettable Boogie Nights Pitch From Its Director
Leonardo DiCaprio says Paul Thomas Anderson pitched Boogie Nights so vividly in the 90s that it still sticks with him — even though he had to pass on the role. In a new conversation with Martin Scorsese, he revisits the unforgettable sell and the part that got away.
Leonardo DiCaprio just told a story that is extremely Paul Thomas Anderson: a porn VHS, a Raging Bull LaserDisc, and a career-defining what-if that happened on his mom's couch.
The pitch (yes, in his mom's living room)
At the 'A Year in Time' event in NYC, during a chat with Martin Scorsese, DiCaprio looked back at the 90s moment when Anderson first tried to rope him into Boogie Nights. Leo says he was literally sitting on the couch at his mother's place when a very young PTA showed up with two props: a LaserDisc of Scorsese's Raging Bull and a VHS tape of porn. The sales job was blunt, funny, and wildly on-brand for Anderson.
'I want to do the Raging Bull of pornography.'
That was the pitch. And Leo says it's one he'll never forget.
Why Leo passed (and why it still stings)
Timing killed it. DiCaprio was already locked in for James Cameron's Titanic, so he had to say no to Boogie Nights. The lead role went to Mark Wahlberg, who fit like a glove. Leo has admitted he still thinks about it: in an Esquire conversation with Anderson, he called skipping Boogie Nights his biggest career regret, praised it as a defining film of his generation, and said he can't imagine anyone but Wahlberg in the part. Also worth noting: turning it down did not exactly ruin his life. Titanic went on to become one of the biggest movies ever, grossing over $2.2 billion across its original run and re-releases.
28 years later: finally working together
It took nearly three decades, but DiCaprio and Anderson have finally teamed up on a new film — referenced as 'One Battle After Another.' Details are still under wraps, but the project is positioned for the 2025 release window, which points straight at the 2026 Oscars. Early chatter has it near the front of that pack. Wild how long it took, given that first living-room pitch.
Quick timeline
- Mid-90s: PTA meets a young DiCaprio at his mother's home, pitches Boogie Nights with a Raging Bull LaserDisc and a porn VHS.
- Leo is about to start Titanic and passes; Mark Wahlberg takes the lead in Boogie Nights (1997).
- Titanic becomes a box office monster, ultimately topping $2.2 billion with re-releases.
- Years later, Leo tells Esquire that not doing Boogie Nights is his biggest career regret and calls the movie a masterpiece.
- Now: after about 28 years, DiCaprio and Anderson finally collaborate on a new film, 'One Battle After Another,' already being talked up for the 2026 awards race.