Leonardo DiCaprio shares truth behind why he goes incognito in public

Leonardo DiCaprio has revealed why he chooses to largely stay out of the public eye.

Speaking to Time magazine after being named the publication’s “Entertainer of the Year,” the Titanic actor spoke about his decision not to have a high public profile, so other people have the chance to miss him.

“It’s been a balance I’ve been managing my whole adult life, and still I’m not an expert,” he said in the interview published Monday. “I think my simple philosophy is only get out there and do something when you have something to say, or you have something to show for it. Otherwise, just disappear as much as you possibly can.”

The concept began shortly after his success in the 1997 Titanic movie, where he wondered how he could have a longer career, without film and television watchers getting sick of him.

“I was like, ‘OK, how do I have a long career?'” he recalled. “Because I love what I do, and I feel like the best way to have a long career is to get out of people’s face[s].”

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Despite The Great Gatsby actor’s willingness to remain incognito, his dating life has continued to garner attention over the years. Up until 2023, he had never publicly dated a woman over the age of 25.

DiCaprio’s string of romances over the years has involved a number of models and actors who are, in some cases, nearly half his current age, including large names such as Naomi Campbell and Blake Lively.

For the last two years, The Wolf of Wall Street actor has been dating 27-year-old Italian model Vittoria Ceretti.

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This is not the first time DiCaprio has spoken about the beginning of his acting career. During an episode of the New Heights podcast in September, DiCaprio recalled trying to get an agent as a child actor, saying agencies would line people up “like cattle,” going down the line saying “yes” or “no.”

“I remember saying to my dad, ‘This is horrible,’” he said. “But I went back and they did it again.”

But when DiCaprio “finally” got an agent when he was around 12 or 13, “They said, ‘Your name is too ethnic,’” he recalled. “I go, ‘What do mean? It’s Leonardo DiCaprio.’ They go, ‘No, too ethnic. They’re never gonna hire you. Your new name is Lenny Williams.’”

The new name was supposed to be both a nickname for Leonardo and a version of DiCaprio’s middle name, which is Wilhelm. However, his father did not appreciate the change after seeing his son’s headshot with the name Lenny Williams printed on it.

“My dad saw this photo, ripped it up, and he said, ‘Over my dead body.’”