Leonardo DiCaprio gets an "adrenaline rush" from acting.

British newspaper the Mirror reports that the 37-year-old superstar finds his profession riveting.

Recently starring as former American president J. Edgar Hoover in J. Edgar, Leonardo was enthralled with playing his complex character.

"It's a constant adrenaline rush every day you have so much pressure

and stuff to accomplish," Leonardo explained.

Although Leonardo was nominated for a Golden Globe for his work in J. Edgar, the actor left Sunday's ceremony empty-handed. The star has no hard feelings about not winning a trophy.

"I don't think anyone would say that they wouldn't want one. I think they would be lying," Leonardo shared. "I have learned from my experiences in this industry that there is absolutely no way to control people's opinions on your performance in your movie. You go out there, promote your film and hope people like the work you did. But they're going to respond the way they're going to respond when they're in a room with that ballot. I'm thankful people are talking about it in that capacity, but ultimately I truly have no control over it."

Awards are fantastic, but Leonardo is driven by other motivations. The actor desires to keep producing exceptional work.

"I really am motivated by being able to work with great people and create a body of work that I can look back and be proud of," Leonardo said. "I grew up when I was 15 when I had my first opportunity in movies. I watched every great movie for a year-and-a-half, and since then I've asked myself how I can emulate such artistry. I want to do something as good as my heroes have done. I just really love doing what I do. I know every career is fleeting and there will be time periods when I don't get the opportunities that I'm getting right now, so I am taking advantage of them."

Leonardo is currently filming The Great Gatsby.