Hollywood Royalty

Brad . [ He mimics being stabbed in the heart. ]

MIRREN: You're absolutely right. It's not something that you glom on the top, as if language and accent are separate. Americans are always saying, "Oh, I love your accent." I don't have the bloody accent. You've got the accent. [ Laughter ] No, I never say that. I say, "Thank you so much. How sweet of you."

Do you feel differently about your work than you did when you started acting?

PITT: When I started I had this idea that the films I did defined me, and that my life would be interesting based on the characters I'd chosen. I don't feel that way anymore. I'm a father now. There are other things that are important to me. I was chasing something that wasn't fulfilling. I caught myself on the phone the other day--Leo has been playing some real strong men these last few years--and I found myself saying, "I want to play more of a man." I got off the phone and I thought, "No. Live like a man, and the movies will follow."

WHITAKER: I had to learn to not divorce my life from my work. My work is a continual process of growth for me; it's an expansion of myself. In the last couple of years, I've been taking things I learn about myself in my work and using it to be more completely there for my kids, my family, my friends. It's flowing in a complete way. It has been a bit of an awakening.

DICAPRIO: Man, I've got to get some kids, huh? I only really started enjoying acting when there was a certain level of detachment from the end result. I remember being 15 and going on 160 auditions, and not getting a single role for a year and a half. I realized I was turning into one of those Hollywood kids: "Hi, I'm Leo ! And I'm going to be reading today! Oh yeah, I had a great day at school! I love school!" [ Laughter ] I had become a product of this system where everyone is aiming to please the director, the casting director, whomever. So I started to think about the character--the work--instead of the result. You know, kids are always asking me what they should do to become actors. You give them the pat answers: "Study your lines. Work hard. Don't give up." But what I want to tell them is, "You have to not care what these people think about you."