It was a case of déjà vu for movie fans in London's Leicester Square when Hollywood heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio arrived in the West End for his second premiere in a month.
The 28-year-old last visited the capital just before Christmas for the screening of Gangs Of New York. This time it was another crime story - albeit a much lighter one - that brought him back to the West End. Catch Me If You Can is based on the true-life story of Frank Abagnale Jr, an accomplished con man with the dubious distinction of being the youngest ever entry on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted List.
In a reference to a scene from the film, Leo arrived with an entourage of beauties dressed as air hostesses, but he peeled off from his escort for a while to chat with fans gathered outside the cinema.
The film's director Steven Spielberg was also in attendance, as were Tom Hanks, who plays the dedicated FBI agent determined to bring Abagnale to book, and Christopher Walken, who plays Frank Abagnale Sr.
Abagnale became an infamous figure in law enforcement circles as he impersonated an airline pilot, doctor and Assistant District Attorney during a five-year crime spree in which he passed around $2.5 million in forged cheques. The real-life Abagnale appears in the movie in a cameo role as a French police officer.
"After meeting Frank you understand how much of an actor he was," said Leo. "He got into the characters, he researched the role, understood the lingo and gave terrific performances each day."
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
