Michael Mann has revealed details of an unmade James Dean biopic that was meant to star Leonardo DiCaprio.
From the start to the middle of the 1990s, Mann was developing a movie about the life and career of Dean, one of the most influential figures in the history of Hollywood.
He had even identified his ideal actor to play Dean - DiCaprio.
In 1993/94, Di Caprio was just hitting stardom as he achieved an Academy Award nomination for his performance in What's Eating Gilbert Grape?
He was 19 years old at the time, and unfortunately for him, it was his baby face that meant that Mann would ultimately move on from the biopic.
"It was a brilliant screenplay," Mann told Deadline.
"And then it’s who the hell could play James Dean? And I found a chap who could play James Dean, but he was too young. It was Leo.
READ MORE: How Leonardo DiCaprio almost lost Titanic role
"We did a screen test that’s quite amazing. I think he must’ve been 19 at the time. And from one angle, he totally had it with him. I mean, it’s brilliance. He would turn his face in one direction and we see a vision of James Dean, and then he’d turn his face another direction and it’s no, that’s a young kid.
"I found the absolutely perfect act of the play, in about three years from that."
DiCaprio would go on to become one of the most bankable stars in the world by the end of the decade, featuring in blockbusters like Romeo + Juliet and Titanic.
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