Leonardo DiCaprio has nothing but praise for his "Killers of the Flower Moon" co-star Lily Gladstone.
DiCaprio and Gladstone play husband and wife Ernest Burkhart and Mollie Kyle in the film; he's the nephew of the nefarious William King Hale (Robert De Niro), the man who orchestrated a series of real-life murders of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation in 1920s Oklahoma known as the Reign of Terror, and she's a member of said Osage people.
MORE: Martin Scorsese's 'Killers of the Flower Moon' gets a new trailer: Watch it hereDiCaprio called Gladstone's performance "kind of electrifying" in an interview with "Good Morning America," and said director Martin Scorsese knew she was perfect for the part the first time he met her.
"I've never seen Martin Scorsese meet somebody for the first time and say, 'That person is doing the role. Hire them,'" he recalled, adding that Scorsese, with whom he's now worked six times, is "truly a national treasure."
DiCaprio continued of his co-star, "The respect … and dedication that she gave to telling the story through the Osage viewpoint the right way, she kind of represented her own grandmother in a lot of ways."
"I've never seen Martin Scorsese meet somebody for the first time and say, 'That person is doing the role. Hire them.'"
— Good Morning America (@GMA) November 21, 2023
Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone talk to @chrisconnelly about starring in the new historical film "Killers of the Flower Moon." pic.twitter.com/vYo2ZyQ0ip
Gladstone said when she told her grandmother she was going to be in "Killers of the Flower Moon" her grandmother was familiar with Scorsese and De Niro -- but not so much with DiCaprio.
"'Who?'" she recalled her grandmother saying. "So I pulled out 'Titanic.'"
Gladstone took to social media earlier this month when the SAG-AFTRA strike ended to speak about the film for the first time and to share what it means for Native Americans.
"The most pressing thing I've wanted to say about Killers of the Flower Moon, especially to Native Women & Youth: See it when and only if you feel ready, and see it with people you feel safe with. You'll likely have a lot of generational grief to process. You're not alone," she began, going on to share a series of "safe, culturally specific and anonymous 24/7 resources available" for those who need to unpack the film but have no one to speak to.
"I'm so proud of the film we made with so many Osage Nation leaders, artists, educators & community advocates. Never forget this story is recent history with a lasting impact on breathing, feeling people today. It belongs to them, & we all have so much to learn from it," she continued. "In this process of learning about the horrific Reign of Terror, remember that the Osage remain. Native People remain. And this story is a lot to take in. Be kind, and please be gentle with each other. There is much to process, and much to heal."
DiCaprio, too, believes this film is important viewing.
"The story is a microcosm for many other stories about the persecution of Native Americans," he said. "But look, this is still going on today."
"Killers of the Flower Moon" is now in theaters.
