Leonardo DiCaprio is no stranger to theatrics in his long-spanning career of playing villains, heroes, and everything in between. Arguably one of his greatest performances, and stunning meltdowns, came later on in his career when he played the most theatrical thing there is to play: an actor. Directed by Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood is Tarantino’s magnum opus of sorts, detailing the story of washed-up actors who never quite made it and young starlets who never will. DiCaprio starred opposite Brad Pitt, and the film received rave reviews for its direction, screenplay, and, of course, performances. Also co-starring Margot Robbie as real-life actress Sharon Tate, the three-hour epic is a deep dive into Hollywood during the ’60s. It’s a love letter to Hollywood and also a cautionary tale of fame, with its pitfalls of becoming a star or being forgotten. Released back in 2019, it was a big hit at the box office and was awarded many Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor for DiCaprio, and Pitt finally won his Oscar for his performance as a rebellious, even-keeled stuntsman. With too many jewels stuffed inside its runtime to count, one of its best moments wasn’t scripted, when DiCaprio suffers a nervous breakdown in his trailer. Though an improvised moment in a Tarantino movie is rare, as his scripts are meticulous, it’s easily become a defining part of the feel-good ’60s flick.
What Is ‘Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood’ About?

DiCaprio stars as ’60s television star Rick Dalton, who once had his own western series but is now starring in B movies in Hollywood. Set over a few days in 1969, Rick’s best friend and chauffeur is his stuntman Cliff Booth—played by Pitt, Cliff calms Rick’s easily ruffled feathers amidst his dwindling career and alcoholism. As Rick goes about his day, which includes playing a guest role as the villain in a new western television series, the movie also follows the young Sharon Tate. Married to famous movie director Roman Polanski, Tate spends her days in bookstores, going to see herself in the new movie The Wrecking Crew, and at Hollywood parties. The second half of the film then takes place on the infamous day, August 8, 1969, the day of the Tate-LaBianca murders. But, this being a Tarantino movie, he offers his own signature twist in creating his own version of what happened in a tale of Hollywood.
Leonardo Dicaprio’s Best Scene Was an Unscripted and Unhinged Breakdown in His Trailer

Rick Dalton is one of DiCaprio’s best performances, and his portrayal of Rick cuts deep into the industry he grew up in and then became a star in. DiCaprio makes Rick such a searing character with his vulnerability and instability while trying to play a star—performing when he’s not even on camera. DiCaprio has several fantastic scenes in the film, but his greatest one is a jarring, jump-cut scene in his trailer when he has a breakdown after messing up a line on set. Mentally preparing for his guest appearance as a villain in the pilot episode of the new television series “Lancer,” Rick’s rehearsals prior to the scene still led to a mishap with his line delivery. His co-star on set is played by a dashing Timothy Olyphant, and the humiliation Rick feels explodes in privacy. It’s a minute of pure rage, anguish, and heartbreak in his trailer, and DiCaprio’s improvised performance is up there as one of the best freak-outs put on film. DiCaprio spits, slobbers, and cries—he’s completely uninhibited as he becomes animalistic in his anger. The crucial scene brings to life the fragility of Rick and the inner demons inside of perfectionism. What in part makes the scene even more legendary is that it wasn’t in the script, but was DiCaprio’s idea himself. Tarantino spoke about the stand-out scene, saying,
“ It wasn’t in the script actually, so we never rehearsed it or anything…Leo had a whole thing. At some point, it was like, ‘Look, I need, I need to fuck up during the ‘Lancer’ sequence, all right? And when I fuck up during the ‘Lancer’ sequence, I need to have a real crisis of conscience about it and that I have to come back from that.”

Quentin Tarantino Was Inspired by ‘Taxi Driver’ for Leonardo Dicaprio’s Breakdown Scene

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

Greatness comes from greatness. No one makes a better argument for that than Tarantino, who has always been vocal about pulling from films when making his own movies as a passionate cinephile. When filming DiCaprio’s breakdown scene, the same can be said. Tarantino loved the actor’s idea of a breakdown and decided they should pull from Robert De Niro’s iconic performance as a lonely, unhinged man in Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. Part of what makes Rick’s breakdown so unnerving is that it happens when he’s all alone and not on set. He’s not unleashing his anger on his co-stars or directors, but on himself, in a battle of self-loathing. Looking at himself in the mirror often during the breakdown, Tarantino wanted to harness the famous Taxi Driver scene where De Niro’s character, Travis Bickle, looks into his mirror and asks, “You talkin’ to me?”

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Tarantino also revealed to Indiewire, though, that DiCaprio did improvise in the scene, and he just gave him loose directions on what to do: “Just a gigantic pity party where you just lose your sh*t, but against yourself, nobody else. And I want it to have the randomness of an improv; it just comes out of you.” The result is a masterpiece, and the ultimate battle Rick Dalton has is not with Hollywood or his lines but with himself. It’s a heartbreaking scene, but also exhilarating, as one of our all-time greats gives a hold-no-barred performance as he goes to war with himself. The behind-the-scenes moments of show business are ugly and brutal, but the shining product—where old school Hollywood is concerned—was always beautiful. Tarantino and DiCaprio both understood this while creating one of Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood’s quintessential scenes, in a film about loneliness, friendship, and dreams.