Leonardo DiCaprio has been an A-list talk of the town ever since he starred in 1996’s Romeo + Juliet. He has only grown in his craft, morphing from a romance actor to one of the greatest talents to have ever existed in Hollywood. While such attention has always been beneficial for his career, it would seem that there was one instance where he seriously backfired.
The Beach (2000) Directed by Danny Boyle I 20th Century Fox

While the fallout was not experienced by him, DiCaprio did end up getting in between Hollywood’s most iconic duos. All because of his fame and status.

Danny Boyle and Ewan McGregor—The Great Duo of Hollywood

Long before Ewan McGregor was holding a lightsaber and Danny Boyle was getting nominated and winning Oscars, the pair were making a name for themselves together. Duos are not a new concept in Hollywood. Oftentimes, two creators fit so well together that they cannot help but work together.
Ewan McGregor in Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting I Miramax

Boyle was no different in this, having worked with him in his first three films. Starting with Shallow Grave, both quickly released just how well they worked together, moving on to Trainspotting, and eventually A Life Less Ordinary. However, it is rare for something good to last very long.

Even though the pair were regarded as a duo for indie films, they did not get to make more than three films together before things turned sour.

In 2000, Boyle was looking to cast his adaptation of Alex Garland’s The Beach. When this was announced, the entire world assumed that McGregor would star in it. He fits the physical description of the protagonist, and since they worked best together, there was no doubt that McGregor would star in it, and the actor was under the same impression.
The Beach (2000) Directed by Danny Boyle I 20th Century Fox
However, what Boyle failed to tell him was that he was going to cast someone else in the role. and McGregor would not even star in the movie. Leonardo DiCaprio had made his interest in the project well-known, and since he was at the peak of success at the time, Boyle did not miss such an opportunity.

Regretted Decisions Poisoned Their Dynamic

To say that Ewan McGregor was caught off-guard by what happened would be an understatement. The actor seemed to have been so upset with what happened that the pair did not rekindle their friendship until years later. Looking back now, though, their perspectives on what transpired are quite different, and both of them seem to blame themselves.

I put so much importance in being their actor. It defined me as an actor. I felt like it was a badge on my sleeve: I am Danny Boyle’s actor. It felt like it was the most important thing of my career.

I was arrogant when I was young.

Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi I LucasFilm
In an interview with The Independent, McGregor looked back at the entire situation with an odd sense of maturity. It would seem that he needed to get humbled like that and be reminded that he was still growing as an actor.

You think you’re moving up. It’s the illusion that you think you’re moving up, therefore you‘re going to need a bigger star to sell the movie. You learn to stick with your roots

Danny Boyle, on the other hand, has a different perspective, as he seems to have regretted the intentions that made him cast Leonardo DiCaprio, as he revealed to Vanity Fair. It is safe to say that the entire situation was quite emotional for both, and the fact that they were able to sort out their differences only adds to their dynamic.