It’s difficult to imagine Hollywood royalty like Leonardo DiCaprio ever getting starstruck.
However, it appears one person had the power to do just that, proving even the most famous of A-listers love to fangirl deep down.
The Titanic actor, 50, has revealed that Luke Perry had an instant impact on him when they met several years ago.
DiCaprio makes the admission in I Am Luke Perry, a new documentary about the Beverly Hills, 90210 star’s life and career.
Produced by Perry’s co-star and real-life friend Jason Priestly, the doc allows those closest to the actor to remember him prior to his death in March 2019 at age 52 due to stroke complications.
Riverdale star Perry first suffered a massive ischemic stroke in February of that year at his home and was taken to hospital. He later suffered a second stroke, after which his family made the painful decision to remove him from life support.
Speaking alongside Once Upon a Time in Hollywood director Quentin Tarantino and co-actor Margot Robbie, DiCaprio recalled his first interaction with Perry on the set of the 2019 Oscar-winning movie.
‘I was immediately struck by his kindness,’ began The Revenant star.
‘Having been born and raised in Los Angeles and worked in this industry my entire life, it has, in many ways, greatly shaped who I am,’ he continued.
‘There was an immediate sense of excitement in seeing Luke Perry on set. It was incredible.’
Proceeding to heap praise on the late film star, DiCaprio bestowed the ultimate compliment upon him: ‘I remember being in my teens, and he was the manifestation of the new [James] Dean on television, and everyone was crazy about him.’
‘I felt this overwhelming feeling of being starstruck,’ said the Academy Award winner. ‘But then he and I got to sit down and talk about Los Angeles, the 90s, his life, where his career had gone, where my career had gone, where his life [had gone], my life [had gone].’
He declared Perry ‘an incredibly generous human being’, saying: ‘I was so struck, how do I say this, by the kindness of his character.’
The comedy/western flick boasted a starry cast also comprising Brad Pitt, Austin Butler, Margaret Qualley, Dakota Fanning, and Mikey Madison.
Perry played Wayne Maunder, an actor in real life who starred in three American TV series between 1967 and 1974 and died in 2018.
Meanwhile, DiCaprio played a fictional actor who starred in Westerns, named Rick Dalton. The film’s plot followed Rick, a washed-up has-been, and his stunt double, Cliff (Pitt), trying to recapture their old fame.
Perry sadly died just four months before Once Upon a Time in Hollywood premiered in July.
DiCaprio has long spoken about his admiration for the star, saying on the red carpet at the time that he was ‘the coolest dude on Earth’.
He added that he ‘grew up’ watching Perry on TV, describing his death as ‘a real tragic loss’.
Perry is survived by two children, Jack and Sophie, whom he shared with Rachel Sharp, his ex-wife.
I Am Luke Perry is streaming on The CW.
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