Leonardo DiCaprio's Playful Bond with Lily Gladstone: Like a Big Brother on Killers of the Flower Moon
Lily Gladstone shares a heartwarming bond with Leonardo DiCaprio, playfully describing their relationship as that of a caring older brother The talented actress expressed her delight after winning a Golden Globe for their work together in Killers of the Flower Moon
Lily Gladstone and Leonardo DiCaprio Lionel Hahn/Getty Images
Lily Gladstone expressed her gratitude for her bond with her costar Leonardo DiCaprio from Killers of the Flower Moon.
In an interview with Extra published on Monday, January 8, the 37-year-old actress stated, "Leo has been amazing. I'm an only child, but I've always imagined this is what it would feel like to have a big brother."
Gladstone observed that DiCaprio, 49, playfully supports and motivates her like a caring sibling should. He was even more enthusiastic about her 2024 Golden Globe nomination than she was. "He was getting more excited before I was, just waiting for the category," she joked about the Sunday, January 7, ceremony. "He reassured me that he was proud of me, regardless of the result."
Gladstone made history at the awards show by winning the Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama for her role in the Apple TV+ film. Her portrayal of Mollie Burkhart earned her the title of the first indigenous winner in this category. She triumphed over strong competition, including Annette Bening, Sandra Huller, Greta Lee, Carey Mulligan, and Cailee Spaeny. In her acceptance speech, she expressed gratitude for her mother's efforts to preserve their language, Blackfeet, and highlighted the challenges faced by Native actors in speaking their native language on camera.
Gladstone expressed gratitude to DiCaprio, their costar Robert De Niro, and director Martin Scorsese for their support, saying, "This is a historic win that doesn’t belong to just me. Thank you Marty. Thank you Leo. Thank you Bob. You are all changing things. Thank you for being such allies."
Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone star in “Killers of the Flower Moon”, available on Apple TV.
The film depicts the actual events of a string of murders of Osage Indigenous Americans in 1920s Oklahoma. "Killers of the Flower Moon" received seven nominations at this year's Globes, including Best Motion Picture — Drama, Best Original Score — Motion Picture, Best Screenplay — Motion Picture, and Best Director.
During an interview with Extra, Gladstone shared that DiCaprio, who plays her husband Ernest Burkhart in the movie, began playfully taunting her about the possibility of winning after the first week of production in April 2021. Despite telling him to stop at the time, she now welcomes his teasing with open arms. It's worth noting that any teasing from DiCaprio is all in good fun, as the Titanic actor has consistently praised Gladstone and her talent since they started promoting the film together last year.
“Marty immediately recognized that Lily was the one,” DiCaprio shared with British Vogue in September 2023, emphasizing that there was a “genuineness in [Gladstone’s] gaze” that shone through even during their initial Zoom meeting. “She holds the entire film and the narrative.”
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DiCaprio is onto something. Ever since its premiere in October 2023, Killers of the Flower Moon and Gladstone have been generating significant buzz for awards season, earning multiple nominations on the shortlist for the Academy Awards.
When asked about potentially scoring her first Oscar nomination later this year, however, Gladstone played it cool, telling Extra, “One thing at a time, right?”
