Why Leonardo DiCaprio couldn't bear to see a body double play Meryl Streep in the nude

He’s eaten uncooked bison liver for a scene in the harrowing drama The Revenant and powered through an intense scene in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained after a glass shattered and cut open his hand. 

Tough job but someone’s got to do it – and it's all proof that Leonardo DiCaprio (47) lets little get in the way of his craft. 

But for his most recent role in Netflix’s satire Don’t Look Up, one thing made the tough guy freak out: a nude scene in which a stand-in actress plays Hollywood legend Meryl Streep. 

In a recent interview with The Guardian, director Adam McKay (53) spoke about Leo's admiration for 72-year-old Meryl. 

“She's fearless. And yes, that's a body double. But you know who had a problem with it? Leo,” Adam said. 

Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, and Adam McKay attend the Don't Look Up world premiere in New York. (PHOTO: Gallo Images / Getty Images)

“Leo just views Meryl as film royalty, a special figure in the history of film.” 

In the movie Meryl sports a back tattoo and the body double has an identical inking on her back. And for star-struck Leo, even the sight of a naked stand-in for the woman he has admired all his life was too much. “Do you really need to show that?” he asked the director.

The movie, about a comet that threatens to obliterate Earth, has been a hot topic for its star-studded cast, which also includes Jennifer Lawrence, Timothee Chalamet, Tyler Perry and Leo’s BFF, funny guy Jonah Hill. Meryl plays President Janie Orlean and Leo is scientist Dr Randall Mindy. 

“Look, you get to work with the greatest living actor in the world, everyone's on their toes, everyone's prepared, and we're just trying to keep up with her,” Leo told Access Hollywood. 

The pair last worked together in 1996, where the actress played Leonardo’s mother in Marvin’s Room. (PHOTO: Gallo Images / Alamy)

Leo, who is known for being an environmental advocate and for his fight against climate change, highlighted the importance of starring in the film. 

“I just felt like this was an incredible gift to be a part of a movie that encapsulated exactly what we’re going through at this particular moment in time,” he says. “But yeah, I am a bit of a Debbie Downer because the clock is absolutely ticking.” 

Leo has high hopes for the impact the film will have on fans.

"I think it was incredibly emotional," he said of the movie's dramatic finale. "It’s a wake-up call. It’s an alarm clock."

"If it didn’t have that ending, there was no way we were going to be a part of it." 

SOURCES: THEGUARDIAN.COM; BUZZFEED.COM; TODAY.COM; DAILYMAIL.CO.UK.