Leonardo DiCaprio has opened up about the directors he wants to and enjoys working with. Speaking candidly about his career choices, the Oscar-winning actor discussed his admiration for several acclaimed filmmakers.
Leonardo DiCaprio loves to work with these directors
Leonardo DiCaprio has spoken candidly about the directors he most admires and hopes to collaborate with. The actor shared his thoughts during a recent Actors on Actors discussion with Jennifer Lawrence for Variety, where the conversation turned to directors whose work continues to influence him.
Lawrence asked, “PTA was your white whale for a while after [you didn’t do] Boogie Nights. Who is your white whale now?” DiCaprio made clear that there is no single director at the top of his wish list. He noted, “There’s a lot of great directors out there.” The Oscar-winning actor praised Damien Chazelle and Michael Mann.
DiCaprio said, “Damien Chazelle is very talented. Michael Mann’s amazing, I’ve always wanted to work with him.” He also spoke in depth about his respect for Paul Thomas Anderson, whom he described as a generational talent. He recalled that the two nearly worked together on Boogie Nights. The actor said, “I don’t have one specifically. Paul was always somebody generationally that I really looked up to. We almost did Boogie Nights together, and then I got to watch his entire career progress over the last 25 years and see this incredible visionary.”
Previously, DiCaprio has clarified that he has no plans to move into directing, despite being frequently asked about it. Speaking alongside Martin Scorsese at TIME’s A Year in TIME event in New York on December 10, 2025, DiCaprio said he would never want to direct. He collaborated with Scorsese on six films, most recently Killers of the Flower Moon.
