'Gatsby' Star Carey Mulligan On Kissing DiCaprio

'Gatsby' Star Carey Mulligan On Kissing DiCaprio

With the much-anticipated film The Great Gatsby gearing up to hit theaters May 10, ET sat down with Carey Mulligan, who plays Gatsby's object of obsession, Daisy Buchanan. And with the setup of a classic love story and a co-star like Leonardo DiCaprio, ET's Rocsi Diaz could not resist asking Mulligan-what was it like kissing the Hollywood heartthrob.

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"It was in the script that Daisy kisses him, but in auditions you never really know whether you should or not, so I asked if I should, and Baz said go for it. It's funny because when you're actually doing it - as a 12 year-old I probably would have been like, 'what is the 27 year-old [version of myself] doing?'" Mulligan said. "It's actually weird, sort of awkward, kissing someone for the first time and then it's just run of the mill."

When asked if she was surprised that she landed the much-coveted role of Daisy Buchanan, Mulligan explained how the role came about. 

"Weirdly, I was at a dinner with Baz's (director Baz Luhrmann) wife, Catherine Martin. It was a big, big dinner and I was opposite her and she wouldn't look at me all night. So at the end of the meal, I made a beeline for the exit and she [approached me] and said someone needs to talk to me."

The film based on the 1927 F. Scott Fitzgerald novel of the same name stars Tobey Maguire as Nick Carroway, Now You See Me star Isla Fisher as Myrtle Wilson and Warriors Joel Edgarton as Tom Buchanan, to name a few. This is the second film for longtime friends Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire, since This Boy's Life in 1993.

"Initially, I thought it was going to be a bit of a boys club, but they weren't like that at all. They were so sweet, and so involving, and so hard working... so serious, very conscientious, but so fun and silly at the same time."

Despite having to don costumes in several period pieces throughout her career including Pride and Prejudice, Northanger Abbey and Public Enemies, Mulligan said the set and wardrobe on Gatsby - designed by Lurhmann's wife, was far grander than she was comfortable with.

"I've never worked on a film like this. And the sets were enormous... At the end of the day I felt a sense of relief to know I hadn't lost them [jewelry]. I wear pears around my wrist and I broke them once and they went everywhere. I've never seen a group of people react so fast. It was like 15 people fell to the floor because they were all real pearls. I thought I was going to get fired, but I survived."

The decadent fashion and accessories were not limited to the women. Mulligan says the one thing she would bring back from the 1920's is the men's fashion.

"I would love men to dress like that. They look so handsome. I think Leonardo DiCaprio is the only man who can pull off a pink suit," Carey jokes.

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For more on the interview with Carey Mulligan, check out the video above.