Leonardo DiCaprio, the star of Killers of the Flower Moon, has disclosed that his co-star Lily Gladstone was selected for the role of Mollie Burkhart in Martin Scorsese's forthcoming Western drama without having to undergo an audition, which deviated from Scorsese's customary casting process.
Qualifications for the role at hand
In an interview with British Vogue, DiCaprio explained that Scorsese relied on his intuition to determine that Gladstone was the ideal candidate rather than subjecting her to a rigorous audition process. DiCaprio praised Gladstone's performance, stating that she carried the entire film and story and that Scorsese was immediately drawn to her after their initial meeting, recognizing a sincerity in her gaze that he perceived even through a computer screen.
The performance exhibited in the film
Scorsese informed Gladstone during a Zoom call that she had been selected to portray Mollie in Killers of the Flower Moon. Scorsese's choice to select Gladstone as a cast member has proven to be judicious, as her portrayal in the film garnered significant acclaim after its debut at the esteemed Cannes Film Festival in May.The cinematic portrayal of the relationship between Gladstone and her co-star DiCaprio, who assumes the role of the returning war hero Ernest Burkhart, was the central theme of the film's narrative. Scorsese modified the storyline and slightly diverged from David Grann's eponymous book, which serves as the basis for the film.
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To obtain a nomination
After receiving critical acclaim for her performance, Gladstone, a native of Montana who has previously appeared in independent films such as Certain Women and First Cow, has positioned herself as a contender for a potential Best Actress Oscar nomination. If Gladstone were to be recognized for her role in Killers of the Flower Moon, she would make history as the first Native American woman to secure a nomination in the leading category. Killers of the Flower Moon depicts the true story of the Osage Nation murders in Oklahoma during the 1920s when the tribe was targeted due to their oil and wealth.
Brief appearance in the film
In this film, DiCaprio and Gladstone share the screen with Robert De Niro, who portrays the villainous William Hale, Brendan Fraser, who plays Hale's corrupt attorney W.S. Hamilton, and Jesse Plemons, who takes on the role of former Texas Ranger and BOI agent Tom White. Additionally, Scorsese himself makes a cameo appearance as a radio news personality. Killers of the Flower Moon was co-produced by Sikelia Productions, owned by Scorsese, and Appian Way Productions, owned by DiCaprio, at a production cost of $200 million. The movie's filming took place in 2021 across Osage County and Washington County, with supplementary footage captured later to showcase a traditional Osage dance.