Leonardo DiCaprio struggled to maintain his composure on the set of the 1993 biographical drama, This Boy’s Life.

Leonardo DiCaprio, one of Hollywood’s most renowned actors, boasts a treasure trove of accolades, including three Golden Globes, an Academy Award, and a British Academy Film Award. His performances have enthralled audiences worldwide, but behind the scenes, there have been moments of turbulence.

Perhaps one of the most notorious instances occurred during the filming of James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster, Titanic, where he famously balked at shooting underwater scenes despite being a certified scuba diver.

But the Titanic debacle wasn’t an isolated incident. Just four years prior, the now 48-year-old had made his big-screen debut as Tobias Wolff in the biographical coming-of-age drama, This Boy’s Life. Once again, he struggled with conducting himself on set.

In fact, the Romeo & Juliet star’s behavior was so erratic and wild that director Michael Caton-Jones had to intervene, putting the then 15-year-old actor in an unorthodox time-out.

Leonardo DiCaprio Almost Blew His Audition For This Boy’s Life
Leonardo DiCaprio might now be one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood, enjoying the privilege of choosing from some of the biggest roles in the business, but this wasn’t always the case. In fact, to land his big-screen debut as Tobias Wolff in This Boy’s Life, DiCaprio had to go head-to-head with 400 other child actors, including his best friend Tobey Maguire.

Faced with the prospect of losing his big break, DiCaprio decided to pull an unorthodox stunt, nearly jeopardizing his audition in the process.

“I remember there was this mustard jar sequence, and just thinking to myself, ‘S**t, I’ve got to do something…memorable,” he recalled in a 2016 interview with Deadline.

“I’ve got to do something to just rattle these people’s cages.’ I went in, and they were doing the mustard jar sequence, and [De Niro]’s like, ‘Is it empty, is it empty?’ And I just stood up and threw my chair down, or something, and screamed at him, ‘No, it’s not empty.’ And then Bob had this smirk on his face, and just started slowly busting up, laughing in my face. And then he looked at everybody else, and the whole room starting laughing.”

Fortuitously, the unconventional move impressed veteran actor Robert De Niro. “I was like, ‘Holy s**t, I blew it. I blew this. I blew this whole opportunity,’ but I guess at 15 you misunderstand,” DiCaprio shared with Deadline.

“I guess they kind of liked it, because Bob was like, ‘That kid was…there’s something interesting there.’ And they brought me back.”

Did Leonardo DiCaprio Really Behave Like A Wild Animal On The Set Of This Boy’s Life?
With the coveted role firmly in his grasp, DiCaprio arrived on set expecting the relaxed atmosphere he’d become accustomed to during his time on the 90s sitcom, Parenthood.

“As far as memories are concerned, I’m the most nostalgic about [This Boy’s Life] and I remember every single day on set because everything was so new to me,” he shared with Variety in 2014.” Having come straight from a sitcom where everything was very relaxed on set, everyone was constantly joking around, to having De Niro walk on set. And the difference that the sort of dynamic and presence that he had with the crew was just—I was like, ‘What is going on here? … I can’t quite fathom what everyone’s so serious about.”

Not knowing how to navigate the somber set dynamic, DiCaprio struggled to maintain his composure on set. “I didn’t know how to conduct myself on set, I was just sort of a wild animal,” he admitted to Variety.

Speaking to Deadline in 2016, DiCaprio gave more insight into his erratic behavior, revealing that he “had no understanding when to…shut up,” and was often “telling too many jokes, or cracking up, or trying to converse with the crew members.”

For a time, DiCaprio was goofing off so much that even his best friend Tobey Maguire didn’t think he was taking the role seriously. “He was doing karate kicks in the hallway. He wasn’t serious at all,” Maguire shared with Vanity Fair in a 1998 interview. “Leo says, ‘De Niro… wasn’t he in Cape Fear?’ I said, ‘Are you f**king kidding me, dude.”

Leonardo DiCaprio Had To Be Put In Time Out By This Boy’s Life Director Michael Caton-Jones
At some point during production, DiCaprio’s wild antics grabbed the attention of director Michael Caton-Jones, who took it upon himself to mentor the young actor in the ways of navigating a movie set.

“It was really Michael Caton-Jones that you know, gave me some of these incredible fundamentals about making a movie,” DiCaprio recalled in his 2014 interview with Variety. “You know, every time I would sort of, you know, get tired of a scene or not want to persist, he’d go, ‘Pain is temporary, film is forever. You back in there, and you give it everything you possibly can.”

So impactful was Caton-Jones’ intervention that DiCaprio was somewhat surprised when the director later apologized for being stern with him during production.

“I saw Michael Caton-Jones recently in London,” DiCaprio recalled during his 2016 interview with Deadline. “He said, “I’m sorry I was so mean to you when you were little.” I said, “Are you crazy, you were the greatest big brother I could ever have during my first giant cinematic process.” I said, “You talked me through everything. You told me all the fundamental basics. Like a little league coach, literally telling me how to run the bases, because I had no idea.””

“He went up to Tobey, who was goofing off with me right before a dramatic scene, he goes, ‘Leave him alone,’” DiCaprio recalled. “[Maguire is] like, ‘Why?’ He’s like, ‘An actor prepares,’ and he sent me off to the corner, goes, ‘You go focus on what the scene means.’ And I did.”