That Time Leonardo DiCaprio Jumped Into A Frozen Lake To Save His Dogs While Filming Netflix's Don’t Look Up

Leonardo DiCaprio as Jordan Belfort
(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

Leonardo DiCaprio apparently doesn’t remember what happened the last time he jumped into frozen waters, because he dived right back in a frozen lake while filming Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up. This time, though, it wasn’t a drenched and freezing Kate Winslet he was saving, but one of his rescue huskies. And Titanic fans can’t really blame DiCaprio for wanting to save one of his furry best friends.

Jumping into a frozen lake to save a dog is probably one of the most noble things a person can do, except for maybe dangling off a cliff to save a dog. It’s not something that Leonardo DiCaprio will live down anytime soon, as his Don’t Look Up co-stars seem to be keen on telling the story. 

Jennifer Lawrence, who acts opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in the Adam McKay film, jumps at relaying the story during Entertainment Weekly’s Around the Table panel. Lawrence reveals how DiCaprio ended up in a frozen lake with not one, but two huskies after jumping in to save the first. Here it is in her own words:

One of the dogs fell in and he jumped in the frozen lake to save the dog and as soon as he pushed the one dog out of the pond the other one jumped in.

So, jumping into a frozen lake is super dangerous. While we don’t know how frozen the lake was and if there was much risk of either the dogs or Leonardo DiCaprio getting stuck under ice, there is always an increased risk of serious injury from the cold. 

There seems to have been enough people around to make sure Leonardo DiCaprio wasn’t at risk of dying or anything, and Jennifer Lawrence gave us some details about how he got warmed up after he was free from the lake, too. Apparently the star shed his soaked clothes pretty quickly. Here’s what Lawrence said on the matter:

And I'm sure you guys are all wondering, I was too, he immediately got naked in the car.

When you get wet in freezing temperatures, your clothes have got to go, and it would seem everyone on set that day now has a story about how a naked Leonardo DiCaprio was in their vicinity after one of the noblest of deeds. It’s worth noting that the huskies were probably totally cool with the cold temperatures once they were saved from the lake, as they thrive in cold weather thanks to their double coat of fur. So don’t worry, both man and best friends were fine after the ordeal.

Leonardo DiCaprio’s willingness to basically relive the icy temperatures while filming Titanic in order to save his dog from drowning has seriously warms my heart. While DiCaprio’s heroic act wasn’t a part of the film itself, you can catch him take on the apocalypse in Don’t Look Up, where he plays an astronomer who is trying to save Earth from an asteroid, which is currently limitedly available in theaters and will be streaming on Netflix on Christmas Eve.

Carlie Hoke
Content Writer

Constantly thinking about books, coffee, and the existential dread I feel from Bo Burnham’s Inside.  While writing I’m also raising a chaotic toddler, who may or may not have picked up personality traits from watching one too many episodes of Trailer Park Boys.