Actor Leonardo Di Caprio has reportedly turned down the chance to play the role of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in a new movie based on his life.

The 39-year-old screen star, who had been in talks to with Sony to play the late Steve in the upcoming biopic, bowed out of the project in favour of another role, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The Wolf of Wall Street star will instead begin shooting The Reverent this week, and then plans to take a long break from acting.

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Not for me: Actor Leonardo DiCaprio will not be playing Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in a new movie adaptation based on the life of the late inventor, according to reports

Tech genius: Apple co-founder Steve Jobs passed away in October 2011 after a battle with cancer

The Steve Jobs biopic will be based on the book by Walter Isaacson and adapted by Aaron Sorkin and the lead role is currently one of the most sought after in Hollywood.

Now that Leo is out of the race, other names which have been thrown into the mix to play Jobs include Chrisitan Bale, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Bradley Cooper.

Acclaimed Hollywood director David Fincher had also been in talks to direct, but The Hollywood Reporter revealed in April that he had left the project.

The movie will now be directed by Danny Boyle, who Leo had previously teamed up with for The Beach back in 2000.

Not the Job for me: The 39-year-old actor has reportedly turned down the role in favour of another project

Inventor and Apple co-founder Jobs passed away in 2011 after a battle with cancer.

In January of that year, a year and a half after he returned from a liver transplant, Apple announced that Steve had been granted a medical leave of absence.

He announced his resignation as Apple's CEO on August 24, 2011 and continued to work at Apple until the day before his death six weeks later.

Bearded wonders: Christian Bale, Ben Affleck and Bradley Cooper are all now in the running to play Steve Jobs

Jobs’ official biography was written by author Walter Isaacson who interviewed the notoriously private tech guru 40 times before his death and was granted unprecedented access to his friends and family.



Steve Jobs died at the age of 56 but was survived by three children and his wife Laurene Powell, as well as a love child born to his first girlfriend in 1977.

The upcoming biopic will be based closely on the book.

MailOnline has contacted a representative for Leonardo DiCaprio for comment.