NEW YORK — David Beckham's four-part eponymous Netflix documentary won an Emmy. And he has Academy Award-winner Leonardo DiCaprio to thank for it.
"I was messaging with Leo, and I just asked for his advice," Beckham, 49, recalls to USA TODAY. At the time he reached out to DiCaprio, Beckham's Studio 99 was still looking for a documentary director. "(DiCaprio) said, 'You should meet Fisher (Stevens).' And the moment I met Fisher, I was like, 'OK, this is the guy.' Because I felt that he was going to tell the story in a different way than people expected, and that's exactly what he did."
DiCaprio and Stevens worked on the 2016 doc "Before the Flood." Hearing Stevens' voice throughout the documentary might also ring a familiar note to "Succession" fans: He played the character Hugo Baker, a senior communications executive, on the HBO drama.
"I actually think one of the members of 'Succession' was a Manchester United fan," Beckham says, noting the professional team he played for from 1991 to 2003. "Fisher had obviously discussed it with them, and they'd said, 'If you don't do this, you are stupid.' So that's why it all came together."
Beckham retired from soccer in 2013 and says he's "probably busier" now than he was during his playing days. This year, he starred alongside wife Victoria in a Uber Eats Super Bowl commercial; he co-owns two football clubs, including Inter Miami FC in the MLS, helping to bring all-time great Lionel Messi stateside; and he spent the summer working with Stella Artois on the brand's "Moments Worth More" campaign.
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The soccer star finds himself in New York, specifically Cipriani in the Financial District, for Stella's "Let's Do Dinner" event, which combined celebrity and philanthropy for Matt Damon's nonprofit Water.org, which says its provided access to clean water for over 70 million people in developing countries since 2009.
Beckham "is a galactically-famous human being," Damon says. "Any help we can get pushing awareness in that direction is helpful and he’s obviously a massive, massive help in that regard."
"I've traveled to many different places with UNICEF and seen children around the world that don't have fresh water," Beckham says. "(Water is) something we take for granted. I think it's so important to give back when you can."
Beckham also happens to be a "massive fan" of Damon's. The two met a few times prior to Thursday night's event.
"I've always loved (Damon) as an actor, as a person, as a family man," Beckham says. "I think he comes across incredibly well and he's got an incredible family."
Beckham can certainly relate to public figures who prioritize the care and well-being of their family. The father of four says that he and wife Victoria Beckham are "proudest" of their children. Beckham grew up on the East End of London in what he describes as a "working class background: parents that work very hard, two sisters that also work very hard." He and Victoria, despite the circumstances surrounding their notoriety, tried to pass that forward to their children.
"They could be different than they are but we are very lucky," Beckham says of his kids Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper.
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Romeo even made a surprise appearance at the dinner alongside his father. "They're kind, they're humble, they're hardworking and they're just good human beings. That's the biggest thing that we are proud of."
Beckham says that he and Victoria are also proud of their respective careers. His wife's accomplishments will take the spotlight in an upcoming documentary that is currently in production by Beckham's studio.
"Victoria is an incredibly hard working woman," he says. "She's had her fashion business now for almost 18 years, and I've seen over that time how hard she's worked. So when I said to her about doing the documentary, she was excited but nervous."
Ultimately, Beckham credits the studio's relationship with Netflix in convincing the former Spice Girl to move forward with the project.
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"I just want to be able to show people how hard she works and how involved she is in every single detail of everything that goes on in her business," he continues. "It's a completely different documentary than obviously my life story. But it's the lead up to (her entertainment career) and also it's about her business. I think people are gonna love it."