The cool star

You know, I am finding it every bit as amazing as you are," says Leonardo Di- Caprio about the story of the hundreds of screaming fans who mobbed a Rome hotel thinking he was in residence, about the seven-year-olds with his picture on their bedroom walls and the lovelorn teenagers who've been to see Titanic again and again to swoon over its star.

"I don't know any of these girls on a personal basis and it's one of those situations where I, as an actor, am being acknowledged for something I've done. That is fantastic and it is the reason we act: so that people feel something from our performance," he explains.

While he may be a fine young actor, his thespian talents are hardly what all the screaming is about. "Leomania" hit London last week when the object of all the adulation arrived for the royal premiere of his latest film, The Man In The Iron Mask. Extra barriers were erected outside Leicester Square's Odeon cinema for added security.

Although the film has received mixed reviews from critics, it's proving a huge success with the public, making such an impact in America that it has now joined Titanic at the top of the US box-office ratings. Both films took an astonishing $11 million over last weekend, making Leonardo the first actor in history to star in America's top two current films at the same time. There is little doubt that The Man In The Iron Mask is benefiting from Leomania - the young star's 'scream/swoon' factor alone is enough to guarantee a big young audience.

It's easy to see why Leonardo is the hottest and coolest twenty something of the moment. His hair is cropped short, his face more beautiful than handsome. He does not look his age, 23. Surprisingly tall at about six foot, Leonardo looks like a male model and dresses the part, in a green sweater, understated in its expensiveness; shiny grey trousers; and black square-toed lace-ups. He is blowing smoke rings and looking a million dollars. Actually, he's worth considerably more: these days, the Leonardo asking price is said to be around $20 million per movie.

He says he's not upset by his failure to secure an Oscar nomination for Titanic despite the rumours that he would boycott the awards for that reason. He doesn't gush that he is thrilled with Kate Winslet's nomination, though it's clear he is.

He simply says of the Titanic experience: "I was part of something that doesn't come about often, if ever. I can tell my grandchildren I was in this film - this film that people identify with worldwide."

Leonardo is adept in the art of answering personal questions with career answers. He won't be drawn on his own love life and says he is struggling with the facts that his "life isn't as private as it used to be", and that some of his "friends" are responsible for this. "There are people in life who have deceptive personalities and portray themselves as something different from what they actually are. They have completely different intentions for you than they would have if they were your friends, but I'm fortunate enough to have my family and friends I have known and loved for a long time. I just may have to be a little more wary of people's intentions from now on," he says.

On the subject of work, however, he's keen to talk. Surprisingly, he's admitted that at first he was hesitant about accepting his latest part, and that he was even wary of Titanic: "I have always been nervous of big-budget, studio films. I did not want to do Titanic at first, for that reason. The hype frightens me. But the appeal of working on a great script became too much."

It was the same withThe Man In The Iron Mask. "I just had to look at the line-up of other actors and what they had achieved to know I should probably say yes."

Starring alongside the young heart-throb in the new film is a glittering cast including Jeremy Irons, Gabriel Byrne, Gerard Depardieu and John Malkovich. Leonardo describes The Man In The Iron Mask as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. "Everyone came in with mutual respect and admiration for each other and, in the end, we were all completely relaxed because we were happy to work with each other and felt privileged to be there."

"I had one of the best movie making experiences I've ever had in my life. Gerard Depardieu is like the King of France. He took us to his castle and fixed us tons of dinners!''

Leonardo took sword-fighting lessons for the double role of Louis XlV and his twin Philippe. But it was British actor Jeremy Irons who coached him, and the rest of the cast, in the art of horse-riding. "We watched him a lot because he was far and away the most dashing of everyone. He just had it all together as far as that Musketeers thing goes. He was all-round dashing."

His roles, he says, were an exercise in finding out the sort of man you will become in a certain situation. One twin was put into an environment of torture and came out sane and able to assume the mantle of King. And the King, who had been told his whole life he was the greatest thing in the world, became spoilt and jaded. "I think Philippe is much like Nelson Mandela in that respect. He was able to retain the ideals and values he held dear."

The love interest in the film is provided by Judith Godreche, the young French star of ridicule who has intriguingly said of Leonardo that he was "shy but smelt really good." Leonardo, however, found his love scenes "uncomfortable, since you're talking about two people who aren't intimate with each other but are trying to recreate what that stuation would be like." Then he pauses and grins. "Let's just say that the last two movies I've been in gave me a little more experience in that area."

For the die-hard fans he is the love interest. They already know Leonardo's reputation for enjoying a good post-premiere party. After the Hollywood premiere of Titanic in December, the young star booked the penthouse suite at a stylish but low-key Los Angeles hotel. He knew the official party would end around midnight, but the unofficial one with co-star Billy Zane and director James Cameron lasted until 5am.

So, if anyone wants to track Leonardo down, they should look for the hotel with the hundreds of screaming girls outside.

(Courtesy Hello)

Part 1 of our new romantic serial Sue's Story

A little more than 'friend'

By M.T.L. Ebell

Are you sure you don't mind that Professor Hardcastle has retired?" I teased Rouanne as we strolled down the slope towards the Green. "1 know you liked him. Weren't you his pet?"

Rouanne swatted me with her book. "I was not! And no, I'm not sorry, he wanted to retire. Besides his replacement is supposed to be quite good!" "And handsome!" I added, "He's Sri Lankan too, did you know?" Rouanne nodded a bit absently, I thought. Maybe she was tired. She'd just got back to College after the hols, while I'd got back yesterday. Rouanne is my best pal, Sri Lankan as you may have guessed, and we're roommates. She and I are both in the same Economics course at Lanchester University. Little heard of, but we think it is the best. Her name is really R-o-h-i-n-i. And impossible for most of us to pronounce. At least, in a way that didn't cause her to burst into giggles. So we compromised and called her Rouanne.

I'm Sue. 5'8" with long, naturally blonde hair and people say I'm quite good-looking. But as far as the man of my dreams is concerned I might as well be a broomstick. He's Mike and he's drop-dead gorgeous. Mike's in our class too and he is a very nice guy and a good friend. But I want a little more than 'friend' and I'm still working on it.

Rouanne and I quickened our pace towards the Green where we students congregate in the evenings. It overlooks the lake on one side with tennis courts and basketball courts on another. We were approaching from the Cafeteria and Dormitory blocks. Opposite were the College classrooms. Mike, Sid and Vijay were at the Green. Sid started towards us. "Say, Rohini, do you know who's going to take Hardie's place?" "A guy from home I hear. Do you know him?" Rouanne said quickly. "No. Heard of him though." Sid looked hard at Rouanne. Sometimes I think he likes her. In a special way. "Same here." Rouanne said and then the gang was upon us, Hillary and Alison joining and all of us hugging and greeting one another. Mike said, "Hi!" and I said, "Hi!" I get a little tongue-tied around Mike but I managed to ask him how his holidays had been and we were still chatting when the gang decided to move on down to the pub in the village.

I was so intent on listening to Mike that I didn't know we had stopped walking and bumped into Hillary. The Dean had come out to meet us with.... Wow! Was this the new professor? Were we lucky! He was tall, his legs seemed to stretch for ever. Dark, curly hair, and we were to find out later, a very quick brain. At the moment I noticed his smile and his twinkling eyes and wondered whether.... no, I guess I should stick to Mike, I'm not that fickle.

The Dean introduced him to us as Manny and Hillary was quick to invite him to join us.

On the way we discovered that Manny had changed his name in much the same way as Rouanne had. His name, he said, was Mahen. We groaned. "Manny's okay with me,'' he said, adding to Rouanne "It's strange that we have had to actually change our names, while Sid has just had to shorten it. "And Vijay," said Rouanne. ''Yes, but I had to get used to being Veejay you know?" Vijay put in. "Isn't it awful that some of us have such a problem with your names and you never seem to, with ours I mean." That was Alison being profound. "Oh, that's due to our superior grasp of the language," Vijay said airily and that sparked off one of our philosophical discussions that lasted right through our visit to the pub and back. One result of which was that Manny seemed to fit right in with the rest of us and that was nice. We didn't believe in keeping our professors at arm's length at Lanchester. Oh, no, we were one big happy family.

Later, I brushed my hair as Rouanne made us coffee. Drinking hot, milky coffee the last thing at night was a habit I'd acquired from her. "So, how did he look?" I asked. "Who, Mike?" she enquired. "No, you silly, not Mike! Manny! A wise professor, a single man I hear, from your own country! What more do you want? He looks a dream. I'd say he was worth going after!" "You go after him then," Rouanne said. She left my cup on the table. "Poor Mike." "Poor Mike indeed!" I wailed, diverted. "You know it's the other way around. Oh, Rouanne, why can't I make him notice me. He's nice, you know, but then, he's nice to everybody. I want something special.'' Rouanne said she'd noticed that Mike seemed to enjoy talking to me. "That's a good start, you know," she added seriously. "Well, he does speak, but it's usually in answer to some question I've asked. Never anything special, or confidential."

"It's a good start," Rouanne reiterated and I tried to feel comforted. Later, drifting off to sleep I realised that she had evaded my question about Manny.

(Continued next week)

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