While myriad actors dream of becoming Hollywood icons, DiCaprio has spent a lot of time and energy distancing himself from his megastar image, which was born when he starred in one of the highest-grossing blockbusters of all time: the 1997 epic
Titanic. As a charismatic and resourceful artist who wins the heart of the society gal played by Kate Winslet, DiCaprio became an international heartthrob. But the media's sudden and obsessive fascination with the young actor's private life prompted him to step back and carefully plan the rest of his career so he wouldn't forever be pigeonholed. Interestingly, his romantic
Titanic role was markedly different than the troubled characters he usually played: a junkie in
The Basketball Dairies, an absinthe-drinking poet in
Total Eclipse, a juvenile delinquent in
Marvin's Room. After starting out in commercials and TV as a child (he was the homeless kid taken in by the Seavers on the last season of
Growing Pains), DiCaprio concentrated on the big screen. But 1993 became his breakthrough year: In addition to winning raves for his turn as a rebellious '50s youth clashing with his abusive stepfather in
This Boy's Life, he also earned his first Oscar nod as Johnny Depp's sweet but slow brother in
What's Eating Gilbert Grape. DiCaprio subsequently appeared in modest hits (
Romeo + Juliet) and outright flops (
The Quick and the Dead), but nothing prepared him for
Titanic's reception and the subsequent hysteria. He poked fun at his situation by appearing as a grossly distorted version of himself in Woody Allen's
Celebrity, and set out to prove himself as a serious actor. In the '00s, he began a successful collaborative relationship with director Martin Scorsese, and the two went on to make numerous critically acclaimed films together. Under Scorsese's guidance, he played a tough Irish thug out to avenge his father's murder in
Gangs of New York, the brilliant but unstable billionaire Howard Hughes in
The Aviator, an undercover cop infiltrating the Boston underworld in
The Departed, and a U.S. Marshal investigating a mysterious mental institution in
Shutter Island. Off-screen, DiCaprio maintains an avid interest in environmental causes and actively campaigns for changes in environmental policy.
Leonardo DiCaprio Fast Facts:
- Made his first commercial, for Matchbox cars, at age 14.
- Met long-time friend Tobey Maguire when both were auditioning for the 1990-91 sitcom Parenthood (DiCaprio won the part).
- Portrayed homeless Luke Brower, who was taken in by the Seaver family, on the ABC series Growing Pains from 1991 to 1992.
- Made a brief appearance as "First Guy" in Drew Barrymore's 1992 film Poison Ivy.
- Sued Playgirl magazine in 1998 to stop publication of nude photos of him; the case was settled out of court.
- An ardent environmentalist, established the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998 to champion his favorite conservation causes.
- In 2007, he received Golden Globe and SAG nominations for his performances in The Departed and Blood Diamond.
- Produced and narrated the documentary The 11th Hour to help raise awareness about the effect of human impact on the planet.
- Reunited with Titanic co-star Kate Winslet for Revolutionary Road (2008), their second film together.
- Leonardo DiCaprio Relationships:
- Irmelin DiCaprio - Mother
- Peggy DiCaprio - Stepmother
- George DiCaprio - Father
- Adam Farrar - Stepbrother
- Bar Refaeli - Ex-significant Other
- Gisele Bündchen - Ex-significant Other
- Erin Heatherton - Significant Other
- Blake Lively - Ex-significant Other
- Leonardo DiCaprio Awards:
- 1998 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee
- 2003 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee
- 2005 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama - Winner
- 2007 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee
- 1994 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- 2004 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 2006 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 1993 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role - Nominee
- 2009 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee
- 2006 BAFTA Awards: Best Actor in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 2004 BAFTA Awards: Best Actor in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 2006 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- 2006 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 2006 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role - Nominee
- 2004 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- 2004 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 1997 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- 1996 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- 2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 2012 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee