Mark Wahlberg and Leonardo DiCaprio had a rough start to their relationship initially. However, DiCaprio would go on to play a pivotal role in helping Wahlberg secure one of his most villainous and iconic roles in the cult classic film Fear.

Mark Wahlberg and Leonardo DiCaprio initially had a bumpy encounter before they collaborated on The Basketball Diaries. 

Leonardo Dicaprio and Mark Wahlberg
They crossed paths at a charity basketball game, where Wahlberg’s actions didn’t sit well with DiCaprio. Ironically, their reunion occurred while working on a movie about basketball. However, DiCaprio was reluctant to work with Wahlberg, and Wahlberg himself didn’t envision DiCaprio as the right fit for The Basketball Diaries.

Leonardo DiCaprio Helped Mark Wahlberg In Landing Roles

Wahlberg recalled that initially, Leonardo DiCaprio seemed unenthusiastic about the role. He himself wasn’t entirely convinced that DiCaprio was the best fit to portray a street legend. However, when they finally met face-to-face, they immediately connected and developed mutual respect. That night, they bonded over partying and have remained close friends ever since.

Hollywood stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Wahlberg
As per Huffpost, their friendship would prove to be advantageous for Mark Wahlberg in the future. When it came to the 1996 thriller Fear, DiCaprio was initially considered for a role. However, he felt unsure about being the right fit. Subsequently, DiCaprio recommended Wahlberg for the part, but director James Foley had reservations about the idea.

“‘What,’” Wahlberg recalled Foley shouting at DiCaprio. “‘Are you out of your f***ing mind?’” Despite initial doubts, the Titanic star remained resolute in his belief that Wahlberg was the perfect choice for the project. “‘You should hire this guy,‘” Wahlberg remembered DiCaprio saying.

Leonardo DiCaprio Earned Mark Wahlberg’s Respect

At the LEAP Foundation conference held at UCLA, Mark Wahlberg openly addressed their turbulent past, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. 
“He didn’t want me for the part, and I didn’t think he was right for the part,” Wahlberg said. “We both had to really learn how to respect each other, and we earned it.”

Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Wahlberg
During a past interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Wahlberg openly delved into their long-standing feud. In 2013, he disclosed that DiCaprio had hesitations about Wahlberg’s involvement in The Basketball Diaries.
“Leonardo was like, ‘Over my dead f**king body. Marky Mark’s not going to be in this f**king movie,’” Wahlberg recalled. “Because we’d had a thing — I didn’t even realize it, [but] I was a bit of a d— to him at a charity basketball game. So he was like, ‘This f**king a**hole is not going to be in this movie.’”
The duo also starred in Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, which also featured legendary actor Jack Nicholson.