Many actors turned down leading roles for various reasons. Fortunately, in most of these cases the possible leading man or woman is not in doubt. One such instance was when the gifted Leonardo DiCaprio decided to pass up the chance to star in a classic sci-fi comedy. Hocus pocus.
Directed by Kenny Ortega, the 1993 film had a star-studded cast that included Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker ( Sex and the City stars). However, you may not have known that DiCaprio also attended the auditions for the role.
Opportunity to play Max Dennison in Hocus pocus was given to the actor when he was still on the verge of becoming a major star. But he eventually turned down the role, which was later given to Omri Katz.
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Why Leonardo DiCaprio turned down the lead role in the film Hocus pocus?
Leonardo DiCaprio, who was still years away from becoming a household name in 1993, had already established himself as one of the most popular actors.
Kenny Ortega, who worked on Dirty dancing And Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and later directed School musicalstook a risk and tried to cast DiCaprio in the lead role in Hocus pocus although he was quite busy. While talking with Entertainment WeeklyOrtega recalled his meeting with the actor:
“The (casting) girls called me and said, ‘We’re sending you an actor today, but he’s not available, but you’re going to fall in love with him, but you can’t get him.’ I was like, “Why are you teasing me?” They said, “You need to see this guy because he will inspire you and at least help you find the right guy to play Max.”
The 73-year-old director went on to describe how, despite knowing DiCaprio’s commitment to his other projects, he couldn’t help but fall under his spell (via Entertainment Weekly):
“He is the most sincere, most focused and at the same time wild child. He felt awkward. He said, “I just feel really bad here because I’m ready to do two more movies and I really need both and I don’t want to let you down.” I said, “It’s okay, I’ve already been warned.” Which films? One of them was “This Boy’s Life” and the other was “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.” Obviously he left, and incredible things have happened to this young man to this day, but meeting him awakened in me the spirit, fun and sincerity that I was looking for in an actor.”
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Titanic The star was denied a job Hocus pocus Despite the huge salary
Leonardo DiCaprio ultimately took a different, more prominent path as he decided to turn down the lead role in the film. Hocus pocus. The actor stated this in an interview with the publication in 2014. Diversity what was offered to him “More money than I ever dreamed of” for the role of Max.
The Academy Award winner detailed his decision, saying:
“I don’t know where I got the courage from. You live in an environment where you are influenced by people who tell you to make a lot of money and strike while the iron is hot. But if there is one thing I am very proud of, it is that the young man held my opinion.»
In 2017, Kenny Ortega had a candid conversation with EET O Hocus pocus remake on the Disney Channel and what it would have been like if Sarah Jessica Parker and Bette Midler had not reprized their roles:
“I don’t think you need to recreate the magic. I think you will start over and create new magic.”
Hocus pocus did not perform well at the box office and received mixed reviews from critics, costing Disney approximately $16.5 million during its run. However, it led to a franchise that included Hocus Pocus 2debuting on Disney+ in 2022, a sequel novelization and a short film.
You can broadcast Hocus pocus on Disney Plus.
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Source – Entertainment Weekly; Diversity; EET