Leonardo DiCaprio, right, and Diane Keaton appear in a scene from the 1996 film "Marvin's Room."

Leonardo DiCaprio may be a Hollywood pro, but performing on the stage of life is a whole other animal.

The Oscar-winning actor and former child star opened up about his yearslong struggle to maintain his privacy in an interview with Time magazine published Monday, Dec. 8. DiCaprio, 51, was named the magazine's 2025 entertainer of the year.

"It's been a balance I've been managing my whole adult life, and still I'm not an expert," DiCaprio told the magazine. "I think my simple philosophy is only get out there and do something when you have something to say or you have something to show for it."

Otherwise, DiCaprio said, "just disappear as much as you possibly can."

DiCaprio, a turn-of-the-century movie icon who's immortalized himself on screen in films such as "Titanic," "Romeo + Juliet," "Inception" and "The Wolf of Wall Street," has also found himself in the spotlight for his personal life.

DiCaprio's romances over the years, especially his age-gap relationships with women much younger than himself, have drawn frequent scrutiny. The actor has most recently been linked to Italian supermodel Vittoria Ceretti. The couple attended the Met Gala together in May, when Ceretti was 26, and DiCaprio was 50.

For DiCaprio, keeping a low profile has been his tried-and-true MO, something he said he learned following the breakout success of "Titanic," which thrust the then 23-year-old into the "intense and overwhelming" public eye.

"I was like, OK, how do I have a long career? Because I love what I do," DiCaprio reflected. "And I feel like the best way to have a long career is to get out of people's face[s]."

Leonardo DiCaprio remembers former costar Diane Keaton

DiCaprio has shared the silver screen with many greats, but Diane Keaton remains a shining star.

DiCaprio costarred with the late actress in the 1996 drama "Marvin's Room." The actor played Keaton's nephew, Hank, alongside a star-studded cast that included Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro and Cynthia Nixon.

"She had the most incredible laugh," DiCaprio told Time magazine. "It would echo through the entire set, and she made you feel like the funniest person in the world. I mean, burst-out-loud laughing. I'll never forget it."

Keaton, like DiCaprio, had her fair share of high-profile romances. She died on Oct. 11 at the age of 79 after falling ill with bacterial pneumonia.

"I kind of lived to make her laugh every day on set because it was so infectious," DiCaprio said. "She was incredible."

Contributing: Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Leonardo DiCaprio reveals 'simple philosophy' for protecting privacy

Reporting by Edward Segarra, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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