Entertainment

Leo's 'Devil' Character Can Draw From These Roles

by Maggie Malach

One of my favorite cinema partnerships is reuniting, as Leonardo Dicaprio will play a serial-killer in Devil in the White City , with Martin Scorsese directing. The duo previously worked together on movies such as The Wolf of Wall Street, Gangs of New York, The Aviator, The Departed and Shutter Island. The upcoming project will be an adaptation of The Devil In The White City: Murder, Magic And Madness At The Fair That Changed America, Erik Larson's historical fiction novel about H.H. Holmes, a man widely regarded as America's first serial-killer.

It will no doubt be a complex role, but one that Dicaprio is more than apt to play. According to the Huffington Post, Holmes built his own hotel specifically with murder in mind. He was no doubt smart, though as Deadline reports, "the sociopath used charm and guile to lure guests into what became known as a 'murder castle,' a haunt that had a gas chamber, crematorium and a dissecting table where Holmes would murder his victims and strip their skeletons to sell for medical and scientific study."

While Dicaprio will no doubt show movie fans yet another side to his skills, here are seven qualities he can pull from his former characters for the role of Holmes.

1. The Wit Of Frank Abagnale, Jr.

You can't fake being a lawyer, a doctor and a pilot without some serious smarts. Dicaprio's Catch Me If You Can character definitely pulled it off though.

2. The Charm Of Jack Dawson

Forgive me for including Jack Dawson on this list, but the Titanic role showcased the charisma that Dicaprio can channel as Holmes.

3. Jay Gatsby's Removal From Reality

The title character in The Great Gatsby is so intriguing because he seemed to live in an alternate world.

4. The Smarts Of Billy Costigan

Billy Costigan had a tough go of it, but he was smart enough to infiltrate the crew of Jack Nicholson's mob boss character in The Departed.

5. The Cruelty Of King Louis XIV

Dicaprio's Man in the Iron Mask character (well, one of them, anyway) was awful enough to imprison his own brother. Enough said.

6. The Bloodthirsty Nature Of Calvin Candie

Again, Dicaprio's Django Unchained character's behavior speaks for itself.

7. The Focus Of Romeo

Romeo was willing to do anything to anything for his one goal and it sounds like Holmes is the same. Albeit with very, very different plans.

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