With Body of Lies out next weekend and Revolutionary Road getting Oscar buzz already, Leonardo DiCaprio has a busy Fall ahead of him. The quiet heartthrob took a moment to sit down with Parade to talk about his career, his family, and his revised views on marriage. His relationship with Bar Refaeli is still very off and on, but he sounds happy, calm, and in control of his career. Here are highlights:

  • On Titanic: "Titanic was a period of rebellion for me," he says. "I was very much portrayed in the press as a heartthrob. It wasn’t what I wanted to be. It was like a runaway train. This thing just took off. I didn’t understand what was happening to me. My instinctive reaction to this tabloid madness was to want to run away. . . I am proud to have been in Titanic," he says. "I’m grateful for the possibilities it’s given me. If it hadn’t been for that movie, I wouldn’t have been able to take control of my career. It was during that time that I started to think about things that meant more to the world than this glorified, superficial media exposure of me, something I never felt was justified."
  • On previously saying he doesn't believe in marriage: "No, I don’t agree with any of that. It sounds like the ignorance of youth to me. When did I say that? Three or four years ago? Hey, we grow up real fast. What I definitely feel a need for is to make my life about more than just my career," he continues. "Just last night I was thinking to myself how little of my life has been lived normally and not spent on some far-off movie location. I want to get married and have children. In saying that, I realize I am contradicting everything I’ve said before. I absolutely believe in marriage."

To read what Leo has to say about the memory of his grandmother and never becoming cynical, just read more.

  • On his attitude: "I hope I never get cynical. . . I think you need youthful energy, excitement, and optimism in life. There is a lot I want to do, and the more cynical you become, the more you sit on your butt and do nothing. The one thing that I would love is to never become cynical about the things I think are really important, like family, like the environment." He smiles. "What I want is to be known as someone who stood for something."
  • On his grandmother who recently passed away: "I always loved being with Oma. She was completely pure, honest, unaffected, so unlike anything else that I was ever used to. She was my barometer of truth. . . Sometimes I’d ask Oma, ‘Isn’t it great now, all this stuff happening in my life?’ " he tells me. "She’d say, ‘Don’t you worry about that. Take a break. Be a bricklayer. Work with your hands. You’ll love it. Step back and reflect on what’s going on in your life. Appreciate it.’ . . . I do appreciate it," he assures me. "I know how lucky I am."

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