Training? DiCaprio Acts Best From the Heart

To paraphrase the film for which Leonardo DiCaprio was nominated for an Academy Award in 1993, “What’s Eating John Crowther”? (“An Open Letter to Leonardo DiCaprio,” Jan. 31).

Crowther’s unfortunate attack on the presumed abilities and accomplishments of DiCaprio because the actor does not subscribe to a formalized regimen of training is nonsense. His condescending words are ill-placed and sound suspiciously like those of a man who might be jealous of DiCaprio’s current status in the motion picture industry.

Formal training is not, perhaps, what DiCaprio needs. How much did Abe Lincoln have, if you think about it? This doesn’t mean he does not research a role. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t dig deep within himself to find a character he is about to play. Indeed, he visited retarded children to prepare for “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” and I have never seen a more credible performance of a mentally challenged person. There was none of the false stuttering most actors employ when portraying such a role.

No, all of this simply means he hasn’t gone to a class with a lot of other aspiring actors, most of whom don’t share his talent, nor will they enjoy his success.

MICHAEL RUSSNOW

West Hollywood

There may be flaws or missteps in DiCaprio’s body of work, but never has it lacked “truthful and expressive behavior.” Truth and expressive behavior, in fact, are the hallmarks of DiCaprio’s work to date. Ditto the “intelligence, taste and honesty” Crowther wants us to believe DiCaprio lacks. Who is this man kidding? That’s like taking Sylvester Stallone to task for not being physical enough as Rocky or Rambo, or Gallagher for not using enough props in his act.

JEFF GELBERG

Long Beach

John Crowther tells Leonardo DiCaprio that if he were “willing to commit to the acquisition of a deeply ingrained and consistently reliable craft, he might find himself able to go places with his acting he never imagined possible.” Don’t listen, Leo. Forget about “sense memory,” “inner monologue” and “psychological gesture.” You have the only talent an actor needs and you display it in every role you take on: sincerity! Now that you have learned to fake that, this is not the time to learn the “craft” of acting.

TERRENCE BEASOR

Santa Monica

I would like to ask John Crowther what makes him think he can lecture DiCaprio on acting. Would he care to state what movies, plays, shows, etc. he has appeared in so we can critique his work? I think a far better and qualified person to speak on Leonardo’s acting is someone like Meryl Streep, who called him an acting genius, or maybe the countless number of directors, such as Martin Scorsese, who would love to work with him.

AIMEE MELANSON

Palo Alto

The internal “skill” that DiCaprio has can’t be learned; whatever “it” is, he has it--right there, inside of him. And it has reached out and touched me just by sitting in a theater and watching him. Not since the great James Dean (who, by the way, never took an acting class) has an artist been able to create such power on the screen, and it all just flows from inside of him.

SHARRON BONNAR

Kanata, Canada

So what if he doesn’t like going to acting classes? So what if “The Man in the Iron Mask” and “Total Eclipse” both sucked? What does that prove? Does it prove that he needs a coach, or does it prove that both films needed better directing? DiCaprio hasn’t made enough films to be judged a good or bad actor. He is simply in the right place at the right time. And trust me, that’s not a bad place to be.

KEVIN LYGHT

Los Angeles