Quentin Tarantino’s road to film stardom with Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio

Now actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt and director Quentin Tarantino have opened up about breaking through in the movie world. The heavyweight trio has joined forces for blockbuster Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last night. And speaking at the world premiere, the two actors told how auditioning for one movie changed their lives.

DiCaprio, 44, was propelled to superstardom when he starred as Jack Dawson in the 1997 tearjerker Titanic.

He had made his film debut aged 17 in Critters 3 in 1991.

He told Esquire: “I feel very blessed to have gotten that ticket to be able to do movies.

“So I feel very connected to that kid who got his first movie. And that hasn’t changed.”

Pitt, 55, landed his breakthrough role of J.D. in the 1991 classic Thelma And Louise. He revealed that two other actors were originally offered the role before him.

He confessed: “The first left to do another film because he got offered a lead, and then the second guy fell out. I think it had something to do with chemistry.”

The pair are now co-starring in Tarantino’s latest movie alongside Margot Robbie and Dakota Fanning.

Tarantino, 56, spent years as an aspiring filmmaker and writer before launching himself on to the Hollywood A-list with crime classic Pulp Fiction in 1994.

He compared the new film to his breakthrough movie, saying: “This film is the closest thing I’ve done to Pulp Fiction. It’s probably my most personal. I think of it like my memory piece.”

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood tells the story of Rick Dalton, a faded TV star, and his stunt double, who strive to achieve fame in the film industry in 1969.

• The trio feature on the cover of the summer issue of Esquire, out on June 6.