Leonardo DiCaprio reveals what Martin Scorsese taught him as an actor: 'I truly own the term artist by working alongside him'

Many of the greatest performances of Leonardo DiCaprio have been delivered under the guidance of Martin Scorsese, their working relationship amassing five collaborations thus far – with a sixth and seventh officially on the way.

The Oscar-winning star has reflected upon his experiences working with the filmmaker, praising his talents and revealing what he has learned under his tutelage.

“As a young actor standing beside him during the creative process of making a movie, I discovered that just like a painting, a sculpture, music or theatre, film was just as essential, relevant, as a matter of fact, the most integral art form of our time,” DiCaprio said while presenting the Goodfellas director with the inaugural Robert Osborne Award at the TCM Classic Film Festival in 2018.

“I felt I could truly own the term artist by working alongside him.”

IndieWire reports that actor, who first collaborated with Scorsese on 2002 film Gangs of New York, stated that “no one is more knowledgeable, more committed, or draws more inspiration from the film art” than the director: “There is almost no aspect of his life, creative or personal, where he doesn’t reference the history of movies.”

DiCaprio also starred in The Aviator, Shutter Island, The Wolf of Wall Street and The Departed which won Scorsese his first Oscar for Best Director. They have a further two projects in the works – serial killer adaptations The Devil in the White City and Killers of the Flower Moon, the first of which will be a TV show.

Next up, Scorsese will release Netflix gangster film The Irishman starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci, while DiCaprio will star alongside Brad Pitt in Quentin Tarantino film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.