Leonardo DiCaprio became a global sensation in his early 20s after the blockbuster success of “Titanic.”

Despite this fame, DiCaprio has often expressed a preference for maintaining as much privacy as possible.

Now 51, DiCaprio has been honored as TIME’s Entertainer of the Year. In a recent interview, he candidly discussed the ongoing challenge of navigating life as a high-profile celebrity while yearning for privacy.

“It’s a balance I’ve been trying to maintain throughout my adult life,” DiCaprio admitted. “And even now, I’m no expert. My straightforward approach is to step into the spotlight only when there’s something meaningful to say or share. Otherwise, I prefer to fade into the background as much as possible.”

He reflected, “I thought, ‘How can I ensure a long-lasting career? I love my work, and I believe the key to longevity is to avoid being constantly in the public eye.'”

The answer offers insight into why DiCaprio generally conceals his identity when he goes out in public.

Leonardo DiCaprio has suggested why he prefers going incognito when he’s out in public in an interview with TIME; pictured leaving his hotel at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s wedding

The handsome A-lister generally tries to conceal his identity in the day-to-day, but will showcase his famous face for work; pictured at a press conference for One Battle After Another in Mexico City

The Hollywood hunk seems to never be seen out in public without his identity concealed with the help of a hat and face mask.

DiCaprio started wearing the face mask during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has implemented the covering into his everyday wardrobe ever since. 

The accessories have become such a part of his wardrobe that not even a star-studded wedding could stop him from bringing out his trusty hat.

While attending Jeff Bezos’s wedding to Lauren Sanchez earlier this year, DiCaprio was pictured with the cap firmly shoved over his face as he departed his hotel in a tuxedo. 

But when duty calls, DiCaprio removes the face coverings for publicity events involving his work.  

The A-lister catapulted to the stratosphere nearly 30 years ago after portraying third-class passenger Jack Dawson on Titanic. 

The topic of fame and privacy is one DiCaprio has been asked about over the years.  

DiCaprio reflected on losing his anonymity due to the film in a 2016 interview with Deadline, where he was asked if the benefits of fame made being instantly recognizable worth it.

‘Before Titanic, I had no conception of what any of that meant. It was shocking. People said, “Do you realize how big of a movie this is?” I said, “Yeah, it’s big. It’s a big movie.” They’re like, “No. No. No, it’s the biggest movie ever,” and I’m like, “Well, what does that mean? So it’s big.” They’re like, “No. No. No, you don’t get it. You don’t understand what this means.” I thought, okay, great, it made a lot of money, and people are seeing it.’

DiCaprio has been named TIME’s Entertainer Of The Year

DiCaprio was spotted arriving into the Venice airport, his head shielded with a hoodie and hat, ahead of the Bezos wedding

DiCaprio, pictured in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in November 2021, began to regularly incorporate a face mask after the health crisis

What followed was a shift from his craft.

‘My whole life became about things that weren’t about acting,’ he said of what occurred after Titanic. ‘Titanic was very much an experiment for Kate Winslet and I. We’d done all of these independent movies. I loved her as an actress and she said, ‘Let’s do this together, we can do this.’

‘We did it, and it became something that we could’ve never foreseen,’ he said. ‘We never predicted that it would be what it was, and I said, “Okay, slow down. Let all this pass a little bit, and let’s get back to…find something that…I knew it was going to be an adjustment. I knew there was an expectation of me to do a certain thing at that point, and I knew I had to get back to what my intentions were from the onset. ‘

Titanic became an instant hit with critics, and it currently holds a rating of 88 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Titanic also grossed nearly $2 billion during its initial period of release, although it has since passed that mark after being rereleased on several occasions.

The movie also held the distinction of being the highest-grossing film of all time for several years, although it was ultimately passed by the 2009 science fiction film Avatar, which was also directed by Cameron.

Titanic was put up for a total of 14 Academy Awards and won 11, including Best Picture.