Leonardo DiCaprio told Claire Danes not to play with prop guns on 'Romeo + Juliet' set
Los Angeles, June 13
Hollywood actress Claire Danes has revealed the valuable advice from the Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio. The actress recently reminisced about shooting 'Romeo + Juliet'.
While the shoot, like the film, was emotionally intense, Danes, at 17, tried to lighten the mood by playing with an onset firearm just before shooting her death scene. Juliet, finding Romeo dead by self-inflicted poison, sobs and shoots herself in the head, reports 'Variety'.
The actress recently spoke with Richard Gadd for Actors on Actors conversation. She said, "I remember just blithely playing with the prop gun and putting it to my head, and Leo getting very serious and saying, 'Claire, we don't do that. Don't eff around'. He was right, but I was just being a doofus and a girl".
As per 'Variety', safety with prop firearms has received new attention in the years since the tragic onset shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021 on the set of the film 'Rust'.
And Leo, who's worked with guns in films like 'The Revenant' and 'The Departed', was already aware of taking special caution even in his Romeo days. Leo, 21 during the shoot, was already a seasoned pro, having received an Oscar nomination for 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape', but Danes was no slouch, having led the ABC drama 'My So-Called Life' and earned an Emmy nomination.
The emotional intensity of the shoot was perhaps new for her, though, and it brought something out of Danes, Gadd told her that he'd written a school essay on her "guttural sob" she lets out upon finding Romeo's body.
"I remember that moment very distinctly. I was surprised by it. And the environment was so epic that Baz (Luhrmann) had created. I was moved by the mise en scène, in a way, and the tragedy, but the world he created helped elicit that feeling", she added.
— IANS
Reader Comments
It's sweet that Leo was protective even back then. But honestly, as a 17-year-old, Claire was just being a normal teenager - we all do silly things at that age. The fact that the Rust tragedy happened decades later shows how this awareness wasn't universal in Hollywood. Good that she shared this story!
Classic Leo! Always the responsible one even when he was just 21. Makes you think about how much young actors in Bollywood could learn from this kind of on-set discipline. I remember reading about how Amitabh Bachchan always insisted on safety protocols during action scenes. Some things never change! 🌟
This is a powerful reminder of how one moment of carelessness can have tragic consequences. The Rust incident really changed how we view prop guns. Good on Leo for being ahead of his time. Claire seems like she learned from it too - she's always come across as very professional in interviews.
This brings back memories of watching Romeo + Juliet on Doordarshan! 🎬 It was such a visually stunning film. I never knew about this behind-the-scenes moment. It's interesting how even serious moments on set can become lessons for life. Claire's honesty about being a 'doofus' is refreshing - we all need that kind of self-awareness!
It's crazy to think how young they both were - Leo 21, Claire 17 - and yet he was the one being the voice of reason. Shows maturity isn't always about age. The emotional depth of that film really came through in their performances. That sob scene Claire mentioned? Absolute chills every time I watch it.
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