Leonardo DiCaprio has described director Martin Scorsese as his “cinematic father figure”.

The Titanic actor first worked with the famed filmmaker on 2002’s Gangs of New York and they have since collaborated on five more feature films: The Aviator, The Departed, Shutter Island, The Wolf of Wall Street and this year’s Killers of the Flower Moon.

Reflecting on his long-running working relationship with Scorsese, DiCaprio told Entertainment Tonight, “It’s hard to articulate in a short time other than saying he’s been very much a cinematic father figure to me, much like Mr. De Niro has. I’ve looked up to them as the great duo of my generation as far as cinematic achievements are concerned.

“As far as Marty is concerned, what can one even say about him besides the fact he’s truly a national treasure. And he’s still continuing to make daring, independent films even though they’re massive in budget. He is a seminal artist of this entire era of cinematic history, and I can’t begin to articulate how much I’ve learned from him.”

In Killers of the Flower Moon, DiCaprio starred alongside Lily Gladstone and Scorsese’s other frequent collaborator Robert De Niro, who he previously worked with on 1993’s This Boy’s Life.

DiCaprio told the publication that it was “mind-blowing” to shoot a film with his cinematic father figures.

“All of my actor friends and I have just studied their work and their films together, so to be able to do six films now with Marty and then 30 years later – after my first starring role – getting to do a collaboration with the three of them was kind of mind-blowing,” he said.

Killers of the Flower Moon was released in October.

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