(Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Justin Sullivan)
Behind the sparkling façade of Hollywood success lies an untold story about one of the world’s most celebrated actors. Leonardo DiCaprio, whose movies have grossed over $6 billion worldwide, has been silently and privately contending with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) for years—a condition influencing daily life and work on set decisively.
The Oscar-winning star of The Revenant first spoke publicly about his condition on the set of The Aviator in 2004, in which he played Howard Hughes, another well-known OCD sufferer. The nature of the film—no less than the confluence between actor and character—put DiCaprio’s own experiences well and truly into perspective and yielded one of his most subtle performances. “My thing was not stepping on cracks, or not stepping on certain things,” DiCaprio said in a remarkably candid interview back in 2005. “Sometimes it took me 10 minutes to get to the set because I’d be pacing back and forth, stepping on gum stains,” as per Irish Star.
Under the NHS, OCD is classified as a condition characterized by persistent, intrusive thoughts that induce anxiety and then lead to repetitive behaviors or actions in an attempt to alleviate that distress. Mental health experts emphasize that experiencing unwanted thoughts is common. As the NHS explains, “Almost everyone has unpleasant or unwanted thoughts at some point, such as thinking they may have forgotten to lock the door of the house or even sudden unwelcome violent or offensive mental images.” However, it’s when these thoughts become persistent and begin to dominate someone’s thinking that they may indicate OCD.
For DiCaprio, these compulsions manifested in unexpected ways, including an overwhelming urge to repeatedly walk through doorways—a behavior that often delayed film productions. His makeup artist and assistant would pad a little extra time into their schedules, knowing the commute to set might be a bit longer than average. “Oh God, we’re going to need 10 minutes to get him there because he has to walk back and step on that thing, touch that door, and walk in and out again,” they’d say, he remembered, as per Express.
Despite this, DiCaprio held an incredibly down-to-earth view of his condition: “I’m able to say at some point, ‘Ok, you’re being ridiculous, stop stepping on every gum stain you see,'” he said. “You don’t need to walk 20 feet back and put your foot on that thing. Nothing bad is going to happen.”
The Royal College of Psychiatrists says OCD affects one in every 50 people at any point in their lives. The most compelling part of DiCaprio’s story is how he channeled his struggles into his craft. His portrayal of Hughes in The Aviator was deeply informed by his personal insight into how OCD grips the smallest details of everyday life. “I let it all go and never listened to the other voice,” he said of his approach to the role.
