Oscar® Nominees

Leonardo DiCaprio talked with Oprah about his role in The Aviator .

The Aviator tells the story of the legendary, eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes—a complex man, a daredevil pilot and flight pioneer who struggles to keep a grip on his million-dollar empire and his sanity. Leo had dreamed of playing Howard Hughes for nearly a decade. He says he immersed himself so much in the role that sometimes he wondered if he was losing himself a little too much—in particular, trying to adapt Howard's obsessive compulsive disorder.

"When you commit yourself to a character at that level, you take on certain attributes," Leonardo said. "And Howard Hughes was a germaphobe, and he had OCD to a huge degree that drove him nuts."

More with Leonardo on The Aviator ! Plus, legendary director Martin Scorsese and co-star Kate Beckinsale.