Leonardo DiCaprio is haunting me. And by haunting, I mean gracing me with his presence on an almost daily basis through some of my favorite forms of media.
He's on the cover of October's GQ discussing his lead role in Clint Eastwood's newest film, "J. Edgar," and the possibility of a directorial debut in the near future.
He's on E! on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, playing Jack Dawson in "Titanic" and rendering me immobile for a solid four hours. I'll never let go.
He's on my friend's Netflix Instant Queue at least twice. Inspired by the "Titanic" binge, I force all surrounding me to indulge in "The Beach" and then "Shutter Island." His portrayal of a crazed U.S. Marshal in the latter causes us to reminisce on his outstanding performances in "The Departed" and "Inception," each a favorite film of someone in the room.
He's with Blake Lively. On bikes in Central Park. On a boat in Italy.
He's donating $1,000,000 to the Wildlife Conservation Society in an effort to conserve tiger populations. He's met with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to strategize.
He was even at a Lakers game sporting a Notre Dame hat, as if I needed another reason to love him.
Though it may seem like I'm OD-ing on DiCaprio, this resurgence of Leo in my life has only enhanced my appreciation for him as an actor, producer and activist. His career shows no signs of slowing, and it's already extensive and impressive enough to incite comparisons to the likes of Marlon Brando and James Dean. There's no one else in Hollywood with such a repertoire today.
So I will be continuing my affair with Leonardo in the coming months, when I see "Ides of March" in October, which he executive produced.
And when I see "J. Edgar" in November.
And when I impatiently wait until next November for his depiction of Jay Gatsby in Baz Luhrmann's take on the great American classic, "The Great Gatsby."
And when I re-watch DiCaprio and Luhrmann's first collaboration, 1996's "Romeo + Juliet," where DiCaprio and Claire Danes play the Shakespearian star-crossed lovers.
And when I inevitably spend another Saturday screening "Titanic" to put my not-so-difficult life as a college student into perspective (also to give me an excuse to sing "My Heart Will Go On" without shame).
So thank you, Leonardo, for assuming a role in my life of which you are completely unaware.
Contact Marissa Frobes at mfrobes@nd.edu
The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
