Posted on 07/29/2010 3:55:40 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Leonardo DiCaprio is withdrawing from a Mel Gibson-directed flick about vikings in the wake of the domestic abuse scandal, RadarOnline.com has exclusively confirmed.
“Not a chance,” said a source, close to the Inception star, when asked if he was still planning to star in Gibson’s next project.
The decision is a major setback for the Oscar-winning actor/director, who is facing allegations of domestic abuse and child endangerment.
It also lends support to critics who are suggesting Mel won’t be able to recover from the Oksana Grigorieva scandal.
Oksana, 40, has accused Gibson, 54, of punching her in the face twice as she held their infant daughter Lucia during a domestic dispute at his Malibu mansion on January 6.
After allegedly hitting Oksana on the head and mouth, she has claimed, Mel then choked her.
Detectives from the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department detectives are investigating the allegation along with Mel’s claim that Oksana tried to extort him with threats of a scandal.
Mel was interviewed on Sunday but refused to answer questions about the incident, citing his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
Mel’s profane-laced rants, recorded by Oksana and obtained by RadarOnline.com, are laced with racial slurs -- including the N-word -- and demands for repeated sexual favors.
The viking film was to be DiCaprio’s first picture with Mel.
A source close to DiCaprio said the star, who is currently basking in the release of his wildly acclaimed box-office topping movie Inception, did not want to risk his reputation, with being associated with Mel.
“Leo has earned the right to pick and choose who he works with and Mel Gibson is not one of them,” the source added.
The as-yet untitled project is being produced by Graham King and Mel’s Icon Productions.
Variety had previously reported DiCaprio had long been fascinated by Viking culture and was poised to play one in a storyline that will be as unsparing as Mel’s other hit period directing efforts, Braveheart, The Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto.
Before DiCaprio’s withdrawal, shooting was slated to begin in fall 2010.
Comment is being sought from DiCaprio.
DiCaprio is actually 5’11” and depending on the role between 170 and 190 lbs. Above what the current national norm should be, well above the average in the 1800’s and the Viking era.
I know we romanticize the Vikings as the 6’4” blue eyed blonde haired muscular ubermensch but in reality they were 5’6” blue eyed blonde haired muscular maniacs.
I hurt myself on that one!
LLS
Please.
I have been posting since 2003, two years before your sorry butt.
Frankly it cracks me up everytime somebody says stuff like you.
It really does.
The thing is that Mel didn't start out that way. His reputation around the movie industry as a drinker and womanizer who was half nuts was established long before he "got religion" and started following his father's teachings. I was hearing those stories 15 years ago. For a while he was able to sustain the new image, but eventually the old ways came out again.
I also heard a story from a sound effects editor who worked on "Passion" that Mel was telling incredibly dirty gay jokes while supervising the sound of the nails being driven into Christ's palms.
How do you surmise that I’m on the girlfriend’s side?
I think she’s the weapon he chose for his self-destruction. He was thinking with his genitalia, not his brain. He was also supremely stupid! In this day and age of instant communication , recording devices and the internet. a man in show business should be aware that nothing is private.
Tiger Woods?
I think she’s a man-jumper, a gold digger and a blackmailer who, I’m sure, participated in some epic screaming matches she did NOT record.
But- button pusher or not- he went off like the Death Star above Yavin. And I also know that he is not unique in that.
I said IF any man did to me what Gibson is ACCUSED of doing, he would be room temperature. I didn’t say I believe he punched her in the mouth- there is no visual evidence of that. Capable of physical abuse- probably- but if a man is that enraged I would think she would need medical attention and the news would have broken at a hospital-not in a phone call. Remember Tiger Woods?
We agree that Robyn probably understands Mel- how could she not? If she can forgive him, she is better than I, however.
Whatever the ‘reason’, he DID abandon his wife and children, broke his vows and turned his back on the love and stability that supported him throughout his career.
I think he’s paying for that- and that he is self-destructive because of it.
We can both separate the man from the ‘star’ - can we agree on that?
Average male Scandinavian height in the viking era was 5’6” to 5’9”, not exactly fear inducing in this modern age.
He didn’t sign the petition for Polanski as far as I know. And it seems like almost every other good actor did.
Although Polanski certainly has the accolades that DiCaprio exclusively works with these days, I would hope that Leo has no interest in working with him. I hope he continues working with Chris Nolan personally.
OK, a skinny 170 lb. pretty boy. I just can't see the toughtest NYC gang banger in the time before widespread posession of handguns as an "average" sized person. I picture a intimidating tough guy and Leo just didn't fit the bill. As I noted, I thought he did a good job acting but it was too much a stretch for me.
We can both separate the man from the ‘star’ - can we agree on that?>>>>>>
Not me. It’s a continuum. Think what you want about Mel. I still like him, the man and the star. He’s a genius and you might have noticed in the years you have trod this planet, that plenty of high powered geniuses have glaring flaws. Mel’s was allowing that Russian tramp to manipulate him and push buttons. Who says women have no power?? lol
Technically 170, at 5’11” is not skinny. In fact that is a healthy weight for the height. Believe it or not people who are 5’11 and 200lbs are considered obese/fat by doctors, unless of course that 200lbs is mostly muscle.
He did ok in blood diamond, but South Africans are not vikings.
I also forgot to see I agree on him not fitting the bill, his looks in the face didn’t have that hardened edge to them as you would want in a tough guy.
Somewhat related, it doesn’t seem like Daniel Day-Lewis ever has people not buying him in tough guy roles and he doesn’t seem any bigger than Leo to me, and he is way more metro in real life. Probably the benefit of not being in the biggest movie ever when you were like 21.
Realisticly that just doesn't work. I'm 5'11 and swim a mile every day. I eat a very healthy diet. The lowest I can get to and maintain enough energy to work out is 188-90. (which is what I pretty much stay at) Most would consider me very lean. To get down to 170 I would have to get scrawny. I know what those USDA regs. say but they are crazy in the real world. To call a 5'll" 200 lb. person obese is delusional.
He's a tall guy and tall guys can get away with it. Just like Clint Eastwood.
I just looked him up and he’s 6 ft. (I thought taller). I guess he’s just good a being menacing.
DiCraprio? Big deal.
“Actually I thought his acting was very good in that but I just couldn’t suspend disbelief enough to take a 150 lb skinny pretty boy serious as one of the toughest fighting Five points street gang members.”
I didn’t think his acting was too great, personally, but we agree about the rest...it was like watching pee-wee Herman trying to play Spartacus...
I know a good number of people who are about 170 and 5’11” that aren’t scrawny in the least. Not bulky by any means, but not scrawny for sure. I will admit college wrestlers aren’t a good test group, but the point remains. A lot depends on body type even if you are the same height. Some people get bulky others just kind of gain weight.
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