Way back in April '09, when Taylor Lautner was still no more than a devilish look in his father's eyes, the reigning teen idol was Zac Efron. Talking to GQ, he shared the story of the time Leonardo DiCaprio took him aside at a Lakers game, and said, "There's one way that you can really f**k this all up. Just do heroin. If you steer clear of that - the other obstacles you'll be able to navigate." Now, in his own men's magazine profile, DiCaprio tells Esquire about a run-in with another idol -- and it may reveal the source of his staunchly anti-smack stance:
When I was 18, River Phoenix was far and away my hero. I always wanted to meet him.
One night, I was at this Halloween party, and he passed me. He was beyond pale -- he looked white. Before I got a chance to say hello, he was gone, driving off to the Viper Room, where he fell over and died. That's a lesson.
Bam. One ghostly crossing was all it took to scare Leo off the path marked "H," and down the one marked "All-You-Can-Eat Scotch, Cubans, and Supermodels, This Way." Too bad Wes never got the memo.
ยท Leonardo DiCaprio Reveals He Met River Phoenix the Night he Died [ET]
Previously: Leo Sits Zac Down For a Heartthrob-to-Heartthrob Talk About Heroin Use [ML]