Leo DiCaprio: Jenny Han's crush ... and brush with greatness

Jenny Han, whose latest, P.S. I Still Love You is out today, fondly recalls her Leo DiCaprio crush — and the time she saw him in the flesh.

Jenny: Just like Lara Jean in my book To All the Boys I've Loved Before, I used to write letters to boys I was in love with — letters full of emotion and longing and also recrimination — but they were for my eyes only. I saved them in a hat box, and I still have them all, except for one. One I actually sent, and that letter was to Romeo himself … Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio.

I was 15. I had a bulletin board in my bedroom with every picture of Leo ever taken — keep in mind this was pre-Titanic and pre-Us Weekly, practically pre-Internet. I had to buy The Leonardo DiCaprio Album and cut out my favorite pics. (Most notably a still from The Basketball Diaries, Leo in a school uniform leaning against a wall, very rare.) I had newspaper clippings from Romeo + Juliet, (Leo, almost cherubic in an oversized blazer and wide-collared shirt, moodily smoking a cigarette). I even had a picture of him as Arnie from What's Eating Gilbert Grape.

Leo was the perfect schoolgirl crush, because he, though several years older, was still very much a boy himself: angel face, no muscles to speak of, a puckish glint in his eyes.

I bought a paperback book on celebrity fan-mail addresses so I could figure out where to send his letter. Then I crafted an envelope out of a page from a J. Crew catalog — boxer shorts, all different colors and prints. I hoped to catch his eye and stand out from the crowd of plain white envelopes. I never heard back, of course. But if only I could read that letter now! What did I write, I wonder? I would guess I praised his natural acting skills, possibly I remarked on his piercing blue eyes, but most likely not. I probably kept it respectfully focused on his craft. I wasn't like the other fans, you see! I was all about his skills as an actor.

Junior year, at the height of my Leo obsession, my high school friend Susan, who occasionally modeled in New York on weekends, actually met Leo. We were the same age, from the same smallish town, and she had met Leo. I nearly wept when she told me how she was at a Baywatch party with a few of her model friends, and he invited them into his limo. They hung out in his hotel room, very chastely, which I was both relieved and disappointed to hear. Susan said he claimed to be friends with Robert De Niro, which she scoffed at, so Leo called him up to prove it. (At this point in the telling of the story, I quickly interjected that Leo and De Niro had been in This Boy's Life together, so, yeah.) They only got Robert De Niro's answering machine, but everyone was still impressed.

After 12 years of living in New York, I myself never caught a glimpse of my teenage love; I only saw the paparazzi shots of him riding around on a Citi Bike.

Until last week.

Yes, dear readers, I finally saw my beloved Leo in the flesh! It was at the Frieze art show, I had wandered off from my group when my friend Adele sent me this brief but intense text.

Do not mistake my terseness for disinterest. I was running while texting, hence the typos.

So there I go, dashing into the midafternoon Frieze crowds, heart beating out of my chest, and there he was, in a beret, scraggly beard, longish hair pulled back in a ponytail. He was Leo the 40-year-old, puffy Leo, the Leo in between movies and model girlfriends. Ever the respectful fan, I allowed myself only a brief glimpse or two before wandering off. Dazed, I took a picture of myself to commemorate the moment and nearly walked into a wooden sculpture.

A gallery owner hissed at me, and I could barely care. I had finally seen him in real life. He was no longer the skinny young Romeo of my dreams, but he was Leo. Even after all these years, he still made my heart race.

Leo, oh Leo, wherefore art thou, Leo?

About P.S. I Still Love You (courtesy of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers):

Given the way love turned her heart in the New York Times bestselling To All The Boys I've Loved Before, which SLJ called a "lovely, lighthearted romance," it's no surprise that Lara Jean still has letters to write.

Lara Jean didn't expect to really fall for Peter.

She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren't. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.

When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean's feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Times bestseller To All the Boys I've Loved Before, we see first love through the eyes of the unforgettable Lara Jean. Love is never easy, but maybe that's part of makes it so amazing.

Find out more about Jenny and her books at www.dearjennyhan.com.