“Leonardo DiCaprio Shares His Starstruck Encounter with Luke Perry on ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ Set: ‘It Was Unforgettable'”

Everyone experiences awe occasionally — even top celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio.

In I Am Luke Perry, a recently released documentary focused on Luke Perry, created by the late performer’s Beverly Hills, 90210 co-star and real friend Jason Priestley, family, friends, and fellow stars honor Perry after he passed away at age 52 in March 2019 due to complications from a stroke.

Covering the journey of the Riverdale star from his childhood in a small Ohio town to his rise as a Hollywood heartthrob during the 1990s, and eventually to his later career and legacy, DiCaprio, 50, recalls encountering Perry on the set of Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 Oscar-winning film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

“I was instantly taken aback by his warmth,” the Titanic star remarked, sharing the moment with Tarantino, 61, and co-star Margot Robbie.

“Having been born and brought up in Los Angeles and spent my entire life working in this field, it has, in numerous ways, profoundly influenced who I am,” he elaborated. “There was an immediate thrill in seeing Luke Perry on set. It was remarkable.”

Perry featured in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as the actual actor Wayne Maunder, appearing in a recreation of Lancer‘s pilot episode. DiCaprio, in contrast, played a fictional actor known for Westerns, Rick Dalton.

Continuing to reflect on the moment he faced Perry on set in I Am Luke Perry, DiCaprio stated, “I remember being a teenager, and he was the embodiment of the new [James] Dean on television, and everyone was enamored with him.”

“I felt this overwhelming sensation of being starstruck,” the actor continued. “However, then he and I were able to sit and converse about Los Angeles, the ’90s, his journey, where his career had led, where my path had taken me, and where his life [had gone], my life [had gone].”

DiCaprio added: “I was so, struck, how do I express this, by the sweetness of his character. [He was] simply an extraordinarily generous individual.”

Perry passed away just four months before the premiere of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in July 2019.

DiCaprio had previously mentioned Perry on the red carpet that summer, stating, “I grew up with him on [Beverly Hills] 90210, looking up to him as truly the coolest guy on the planet, and genuinely, when I was on set, I was starstruck.”

He added during that time, “We got to sit and talk. He couldn’t have been a more wonderful human being. It’s an immense loss.”

DiCaprio also shared a tribute on social media on March 4, the day Perry’s death was confirmed, expressing that it was an “honor” to have collaborated with him.

I Am Luke Perry is currently available for streaming.