"He said I was a junkie and that he didn't work with junkies," Feldman said Depp told producers on the film, later adding, "Who knows what would have happened?"

What's Eating Gilbert Grape, based on a 1991 novel by Peter Hedges, was well received and earned 19-year-old Leonardo his first Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for his portrayal as Arnie. "There was a bitter tea there," Corey acknowledged. "But that said, you don't hang on those, you get past 'em."

In “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” the coming-of-age drama directed by Lasse Hallström, Depp plays a grocery store clerk who cares for his family, including his disabled younger brother Arnie (DiCaprio). The film also stars Juliette Lewis, Mary Steenburgen, John C. Reilly and Darlene Cates.