Leonardo DiCaprio has "always been fascinated with wealth in America".
The 39-year-old actor was born and raised in Los Angeles and his mother, Irmelin - who divorced his father George DiCaprio when he was young - worked several jobs to support them.
He admits he was intrigued by the "other side of the spectrum" and recent films he's done including 'The Wolf of Wall Street' and 2013's 'The Great Gatsby' are about the "corruption" of the American dream.
Quizzed on his recent films, he told collider.com: "The truth is that I've always been fascinated with wealth in America. To me, its been about the American dream and the corruption of that dream. Coming from where I was brought up, I went to a school in Beverly Hills and I always looked at the other side of the spectrum. Its been a fascination of mine, for a long period of time."
DiCaprio stars as corrupt stockbroker Jordan Belfort who engaged in securities fraud and corruption on Wall Street in Martin Scorsese's latest film and he was keen to take on roles like this following the "economic downfall" in 2008.
The Hollywood hunk explained: "Certainly since 2008 and what happened with the economic downfall, [The Wolf of Wall Street] in particular, and this element of our very culture, was something that I wanted to put up on the screen."
DiCaprio plays Jay Gatsby in the latest adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, and his character is an archetype of self-made American men seeking to join high society.
He thinks Gatsby and Belfort both have a number of similarities as they've both "recreated" themselves but insists they are driven by different motivations.
He added: "They both come from the underworld. They recreate themselves. But, putting this culture up on the screen is something I've been wanting to do, for a long time. Jordan is the antithesis of Gatsby. His motivations come from a reptilian part of his brain, whereas Gatsby is doing it all for love.
"Those are two entirely different motivations. But since 2008, I felt we needed to explore the darker nature of humanity with these character who have complete disregard for anyone except themselves, and their own greed and lust for power."

George MacKay and his 'How I Live Now' co-star and crew celebrated filming their first sex scene with a hug.
The 21-year-old actor stars as Eddie who falls in love with Daisy (Saoirse Ronan) in 2013's drama, and although it wasn't awkward filming the intimate scene he admitted he shared a celebratory hug with his screen love interest and Director of Photography, Franz Lustig, after shooting the scene.
Talking exclusively to BANG Showbiz, MacKay explained: "It was one of those things that was just there and made sense for the story. And for the DP Franz [Lustig], it was his first sex scene he'd filmed so we all had a hug at the end of it all, going 'Now that we've all done our first sex scene together'.
"It was a couple of takes but it wasn't bad or anything."
'How I Live Now' tells the controversial story of two cousins who fall in love and although MacKay admits initially this can be seen as "shocking" he views it as a "love story" and the element of "forbidden love" adds to the plot.
The BAFTA-nominated actor said: "Maybe the idea of that at first might be more shocking but when you understand within reading the book or reading the script as it happens, it just feels ... justified is the wrong word because therefore ... there might be some people who think it's wrong beforehand, but it didn't really phase me to be honest.
"It seemed right that these two people fell in love and that they wanted to be with each other and they needed to be with each other. The fact that they were cousins, in some ways, added a dynamic of forbidden love."
'How I Live Now' is available on Blu-ray & DVD 10th February, courtesy of eOne Home Entertainment.

Terry Gilliam's 'The Man Who Killed Don Quixote' will begin shooting later this year.
'The Zero Theorem' director will finally bring Miguel de Cervantes' classic novel to the big screen and filming is due to take place from September 29 in the Canary Islands, reports Empire.com.
The film has been a long time coming for the director who faced a series of challenges during previous attempts at making the picture including a number of injuries and financial restraints.
Gilliam said: "I'm hoping it's the lucky 11. We keep rewriting the script each time, too, so it's a slightly different film each time. It's the same film but the details change."
The 73-year-old director admits making the film didn't come without some sacrifices which included a decent budget for wardrobe.
He added: "Maybe it's better, it's certainly slightly smaller to fit into the new clothing we wear, which are cheap clothes these days."
Despite the challenges Gillam refused to give up, and although he won't begin helming the project until after he's completed opera, 'Benvenuto Cellini' he is itching to begin shooting.
He said: "It's obsessive ... desperate ... pathetic ... foolish. It's this growth, this tumour that's become part of my system that has to get out if I'm to survive."

Michael Jackson's estate claim the Internal Revenue Service's tax investigation is grossly flawed. The late singer's executors have hit back at the IRS after they launched a legal battle in a bid to secure $505 million and an additional $197 million i...

Farrah Abraham has hit back at Taylor Armstrong, claiming she's "jealous".
The pair star alongside one another on season four of 'Couples Therapy' which shows famous couples receive relationship counselling, but the 'Teen Mom' star caused controversy after she claimed she was in a relationship with DJ Brian Dawe but was stood up when it came to recording the series.
Taylor previously accused her the 22-year-old star of telling lies and hinted her relationship was fake, however, Farrah puts the 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' star's rant down to envy.
Farrah told RadarOnline.com: "I just would hope that her habits - of maybe is it bereavement ... kind of going through depression, those type of things. Is it her acting out of that or is it of jealousy?
"I've just moved on from it, so anything that I hear out of her mouth, I just don't even take seriously, and I just look at the bigger picture of things.
"And that's how I would rather be. I'd rather not be the person who is falsely judging, who is making up things, and who is [messing with] somebody else's life."
Farrah - who is releasing a second sex tape - tried to be the bigger person and wished Taylor well in the future and claims she hopes she continues "her progress" as she works on her relationship with fiancé John Bluher.
She explained: "I'm very happy for Taylor ... being a woman who has gone through a loss like myself has and being a mother and finding somebody that she would like to put her trust in and get married to. So on a very real and mature note, I'm very happy for what I see of Taylor and all the prospects of her future ... I just hope that she continues her therapy and her progress."

Taylor Momsen insists she doesn't use her sexuality to shock.
The 20-year-old singer posed naked for the front cover of her band The Pretty Reckless' upcoming album 'Going To Hell' record, causing a storm on social media when she posted the artwork.
On the LP sleeve Taylor is seen showing off her back which has a giant cross emblazoned on it with an arrow pointing to her bare bottom, but she is adamant the risqué pose is artistically motivated.
Speaking to the Metro newspaper, she said: "Everyone was like, 'Woah, she's naked.' But everything I do has an artistic purpose behind it, from clothing to my new record cover. I don't set out to shock - I've definitely matured and evolved. I'm just a person, I make art. My sexuality is there for a reason it's not just about lewdness."
The former 'Gossip Girl' actress admits she was perplexed by her sexuality in her teens but used clothes and fashion to learn about herself.
She explained: "In the beginning it was me in corsets and stripper heels and all that - I was a kid, everyone thought it was so shocking because I was young and you have to be older to wear that stuff.
"I was a kid confused about sexuality and all of that and expressing that confusion in all of it. I think all teenagers express themselves in that way, I was just being very overt about it."

Lupita Nyong'o says Ralph Fiennes' advice inspired her to become an actress.
The 30-year-old star has been catapulted into the limelight with various awards and nominations for her performance in '12 Years a Slave' but admits she hadn't fully committed to a career in acting until she met Ralph while working as a production assistant on his film 'The Constant Gardener'.
She said: "He asked me what I wanted to do with my life, and I very timidly admitted that I was interested in being an actor. He sighed and said, 'If there's something else that you want to do, do that. Only act if you feel you can't live without it.'
"It wasn't what I wanted to hear, but it was the thing I needed to hear."
Shortly after meeting Ralph, Lupita applied to the Yale School of Drama and later landed her first feature length role in the Steve McQueen film based on Solomon Northup's memoir of the same name, and having wowed audiences and critics with her portrayal of slave girl Patsey, she's now struggling to deal with the media attention.
Speaking about a run in with the paparazzi, she told New York magazine: "I don't know who they were waiting for, but they definitely chased me down, which is a startling, disturbing experience. I did not expect it. I went into flight mode.
Lupita will next appear alongside Liam Neeson in 'Non-Stop' but claims she still hasn't come to terms with her success in '12 Years a Slave' and new-found fame.
She added: "I haven't gotten used to being recognised. I was blissfully ignorant of the magnitude of the project I was in or what it was going to mean for the world."

Prince tried to hide his face from the cameras as he arrived at the Boujis club in London in a striking gold suit. The singer turned up late following his gig at the Shepherd's Bush Empire.

Shia LaBeouf turned heads at the Berlin Film Festival in Germany wearing a brown paper bag over his face with the words "I am not famous anymore" printed across it. The actor was promoting his new film 'Nymphomaniac'.

Uma Thurman posed for the cameras on the red carpet at the 64th Berlin Film Festival in Germany. The actress wore a black gown with a wine-coloured fur stole as she promoted her new film 'Nymphomaniac'.

Jessica Alba looked gorgeous in blue as she kept it casual for a trip to the pharmacy in Beverly Hills, California. The actress paired dark jeans with a blue knitted cardigan and finished the outfit off with a navy fedora hat.

Paris and Nicky Hilton decided on contrasting outfits for Diane Von Furstenberg's New York fashion show. Paris wore a black top with a monochrome printed mini skirt while her sister opted for a bright floral print dress and silver clutch bag bearing he...