Leonardo DiCaprio has opened up about why he often covers his face whenever he steps out in public.
The 51-year-old actor, recently named TIME’s Entertainer of the Year, said he has spent his whole adult life trying to balance massive fame with a need for privacy.
“It’s been a balance I’ve been managing my whole adult life,” he said. “Only get out there when you have something to say or something to show. Otherwise, disappear as much as you possibly can.”
DiCaprio said he decided early on that the best way to keep a long career was to “get out of people’s face.”
This is why he is rarely seen without his usual hat and face mask. He first adopted the mask during the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued using it as part of his everyday outfit.
Even at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s wedding earlier this year, DiCaprio kept his cap pulled down as he left his hotel dressed in a tuxedo.
He only removes the coverings when he has work to promote. He appeared without them at a press conference for One Battle After Another in Mexico City.
DiCaprio became one of the world’s most recognizable stars after Titanic, and he has previously spoken about how the film changed everything for him.
In a 2016 Deadline interview, he said he didn’t understand what the movie’s success meant until people told him it was “the biggest movie ever.” The sudden loss of anonymity shaped how he now protects his privacy — including keeping his face covered whenever possible.
