DiCaprio admits fame went to his head

Leonardo DiCaprio has admitted his ego was once so big he believed his acting had "altered the course of history".

The Titanic star said fame went to his head after he was Oscar-nominated for his role in the 1994 film What's Eating Gilbert Grape? and hailed as the new Marlon Brando.

He told Vanity Fair magazine: "As soon as enough people give you enough compliments and you're wielding more power than you've ever had in your life, it's not that you become an arrogant little prick, or become rude to people ... but you get a false sense of your own importance and what you've accomplished.

"You actually think you've altered the course of history."

The 29-year-old said he now had a more relaxed attitude to fame and credited his father with bringing him back down to earth by making him focus on his acting rather than his superstar lifestyle.