What makes Leonardo DiCaprio's performance in Django Unchained so thrilling is that he allows himself to go above and beyond what we normally see from him. While in his past DiCaprio has shown himself to be a very serious actor regularly in the hunt for an Academy Award, he spends most of his time in Quentin Tarantino's pre-Civil War revenge story chomping on the scenery and having a blast doing it. And apparently he was having such a blast doing it that even after he got a bit bloody on set he just kept rolling with it - and the end result is in the final cut.
Variety has the scoop on the on-set accident, saying that it occurred during the dinner scene with DiCaprio, Jaimie Foxx, Kerry Washington and Christoph Waltz. Without giving away any spoilers, there is a part where the Departed star slams his hand on the table... and in the process crushed a piece of real glass. "Leo had slammed his hand on the table countless times and he moved his hand further and he crushed a crystal cordial glass," Stacey Sher, a producer on the movie, told the trade publication. "Blood was dripping down his hand. He never broke character. He kept going. He was in such a zone. It was very intense. He required stitches."
With the cameras still rolling, DiCaprio refused to break character and just kept saying his dialogue. The blood was even worked into the scene, with the villain rubbing some on Washington's face. Once cut was called the cast and crew gave him a standing ovation. "Not because he cut himself," Sher said. "Because in that scene he had pages and pages of monologue. His performance was masterful. His level of commitment is extraordinary."
DiCaprio was recently nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category for the Golden Globes. The ceremony will be held on January 13, 2013.
