One Of The Most Underrated Westerns Of All Time Only Starred Leonardo DiCaprio Because His Co-Star Paid His Wages

Before his career truly took off, Leonardo DiCaprio was in one of the most underrated Westerns of all time, mostly due to one of his co-stars paying for his wages. Leonardo DiCaprio’s filmography is incredibly strong, abd despite being pegged as a youthful heartthrob early in his career, some of DiCaprio’s best films also rank among the best of the modern era. Still, there was a time when he was still trying to find his footing in a number of roles, even after his lauded performance in 1993’s What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.

Prior to the megastardom afforded by the likes of both Romeo + Juliet and Titanic, DiCaprio was cast in a Sam Raimi-directed Western film, which would end up getting lost among his major films both before and after. And his involvement only happened because one of his co-stars saw enough potential in him, years ahead of his break, to insist that he was cast. It’s that actor we can thank for his underappreciated role as The Kid in The Quick and the Dead.

The Quick & The Dead Is Painfully Underrated

Sam Raimi’s Western Deserves A Lot More Praise

Sandwiched between Sam Raimi’s groundbreaking Evil Dead trilogy and his Spider-Man trilogy, The Quick and the Dead is arguably his most underrated film ever, and one of the most underrated Westerns of all time. When it was first released, The Quick and the Dead received mixed reviews from critics, failing to live up to the standard of other Raimi films and Westerns that came before it. Over the years, though, the film has gained a cult following, fitting nicely with the rest of Sam Raimi’s movies.

Bruce Campbell staring wild-eyed in The Evil Dead

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The cast of The Quick and the Dead is also incredibly impressive, boasting names as gloried as Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, and Sharon Stone alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. What makes The Quick and the Dead stand out alongside some of the best films in the Western Genre is Sam Raimi’s insistence on bringing his style to any film he is making. The result is that the 1995 Western has all the trappings of a Sam Raimi flick, down to the inventive camera movements and absurd editing choices. It’s a one of a kind Western experience that only a filmmaker like Raimi could deliver.

The Quick & The Dead Only Happened Because Of Sharon Stone

Stone Used Her Star Power In Exactly The Right Way

Despite a more recent reappraisal, there was a time when The Quick and the Dead struggled to happen at all, and it is largely thanks to Sharon Stone that it did. Not only did she star in the film, but she also produced it, receiving her first producer credit in the process, not long after her star-making role in Basic Instinct. It’s fair to say Stone pulled all the important strings: first urging the studio to hire Sam Raimi to direct after being impressed with his work on Army of Darkness a few years before, and delaying the film so that Russell Crowe would be able to be brought in despite living in Australia.

Sharon Stone was essentially responsible for putting the right pieces together, which has allowed it to age gracefully as one of the most underrated Westerns of all time.

Her dedication to The Quick and the Dead was remarkable, and she turned in one of her best performances in it. It takes a lot of talent and effort to star in major Hollywood movies, and even more, to be integral to the making of the film behind the scenes. Even if she wasn’t the one to outright green-light the film, Stone was essentially responsible for putting the right pieces together.

Sharon Stone Paid Leonardo DiCaprio’s Wage On The Quick & The Dead

When You Recognize Rising Talent, Sometimes You Have To Take A Stand

Leonardo DiCaprio as The Kid in The Quick and the Dead

Because he was still early on in his later-storied career, Leonardo DiCaprio wasn’t even going to be cast in the film, thanks to reported studio reluctance. He hadn’t made Romeo + Juliet and was yet to be launched anywhere near the levels of stardom he’d have a few years later because of Titanic, which gave the studio pause despite already having impressive performances under his belt. In her book, “The Beauty of Living Twice” (via Insider), Sharon Stone went into the hiring process and how she ended up paying DiCaprio’s wages so that he would get the part, stating:

“This kid named Leonardo DiCaprio was the only one who nailed the audition, in my opinion… The studio said if I wanted him so much, I could pay him out of my own salary. So I did.”

Aside from the fact that paying DiCaprio’s wages was a remarkable selfless thing to do, it elevated The Quick and the Dead even more, because The Kid is an integral part of the story. It was an early role that showed what DiCaprio was capable of and what he could become, and it is a miracle that Stone took the type of chance on him that she did. In the end, it all worked out well, as The Quick and the Dead is one of DiCaprio’s most underrated roles, and deserves to be considered a staple of the Western genre.