The modern-day wilderness of B.C. and Alberta is set to star in upcoming Leonardo DiCaprio film The Revenant, standing in for the American wilderness of the 1820s — but shooting wasn't as easy as the cast anticipated.

The highly-anticipated movie stars DiCaprio as Hugh Glass, a fur trapper out for vengeance when his fellow trappers leave him for dead after a bear mauling.

We won't spoil whether or not DiCaprio's character is up to the challenge of revenge — but one Vancouver actor says he and the real-life DiCaprio certainly faced some challenges filming the movie in the tough weather of B.C. and Alberta.

"I don't think anybody was [prepared for the challenges], really, and that was part of the difficulty of making the film," Robert Moloney told On The Coast host Stephen Quinn.

Vancouver actor Robert Moloney plays the character Dave Chapman in The Revenant. (robertmoloney.com) "Probably that was a blessing, because if anybody had known what they were walking into, they would've said, "No, let's just forget it, let's shoot a studio picture.'"

Some of the difficulties for Moloney, who plays Dave Chapman in the movie, included being out on a boat on the ocean near Squamish for many hours, in the pouring rain, without having any warm clothes.

"My boots come off in that scene, and they need to see my feet," he said.

Things were even worse in Alberta, where temperatures of -40 C and rapidly melting snow — including a loss of five feet in one day — played havoc with filming conditions.

However, Moloney thinks it was all worth it. He calls director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu "an artist of the highest calibre, absolutely committed to his vision" and thinks that if anything, the rotten conditions will add to the look of the film.

If nothing else, Moloney says, he's glad he appeared in the film for one very important reason: he got to film a scene where Leonardo DiCaprio slung him over his shoulder.

"As I was dangling over his shoulder I thought, 'Gee, I'm living the dream of millions and millions of women around the world,'" he said.

"10 seconds after I met Leonardo DiCaprio he threw me over his shoulder and ran away!"

To hear the full story, click the audio labelled: Vancouver actor 'living the dream' in new DiCaprio film The Revenant