Leonardo DiCaprio was a "slow starter" with women.

The 'Titanic' star - who has dated a string of beautiful women, including supermodels Helena Christensen, Gisele Budchen and Bar Rafaeli - claims he was never very successful with girls when he was young as he found it hard to relate to them.

He said: "I've always been a slow starter. My first date was with a girl called Cessi. We had a beautiful relationship over the phone all summer and then when we met I couldn't look her in the eye."

The 33-year-old star - who recently revealed he is keen to put his playboy lifestyle behind him and settle down - is notoriously secretive about his private life, but claims he has to be in order to ensure he is believable as an actor.

He said: "Defining yourself to the public on a consistent basis is death to a performer. The more you define who you are personally the less you are able to submerge into the characters you do, and people will think, 'I don't buy him in that role.' "