Info about Leonardo DiCaprio

Date of Birth: November 11, 1974

Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California, USA

Height: 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)

Breakthrough Role: What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) – Earned his first Oscar nomination for playing a young man with a developmental disability

Curiosities:

He was named Leonardo because his mother felt him kick for the first time while looking at a Leonardo da Vinci painting. He almost drowned while diving, had a near-death experience in a skydiving accident, and was on a plane that caught fire mid-flight.

Photos of Leonardo DiCaprio

Biography of Leonardo DiCaprio

Early Life & Education

Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio was born on November 11, 1974, in Los Angeles, California. His parents, George DiCaprio (a comic book writer) and Irmelin Indenbirken (a legal secretary), divorced when he was a child. Raised by his mother, he developed a love for acting early on.

DiCaprio struggled to land roles as a child because casting agents thought his name was too exotic. He started with commercials and minor TV appearances (Growing Pains) before breaking into films.

Career Beginnings & Breakthrough

His breakthrough came in 1993 with What's Eating Gilbert Grape. At just 19, he delivered a heartbreaking and realistic performance, earning an Oscar nomination and proving himself as a serious actor.

Rise to Stardom

Throughout the 1990s, he starred in diverse roles:

The Basketball Diaries (1995) – Played a drug-addicted teenager
Romeo + Juliet (1996) – A modern take on Shakespeare’s classic
Titanic (1997) – His global breakout, playing Jack Dawson in the highest-grossing film of its time

After Titanic, DiCaprio avoided typecasting, choosing serious, challenging roles.

Oscar-Winning Career & Collaborations with Scorsese

DiCaprio formed a legendary partnership with Martin Scorsese, starring in:

Gangs of New York (2002)
The Aviator (2004) – Played Howard Hughes, earning another Oscar nomination
The Departed (2006) – A crime thriller alongside Jack Nicholson and Matt Damon
Shutter Island (2010) – A psychological mystery
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) – Played Jordan Belfort, earning another Oscar nomination

Despite multiple nominations, DiCaprio didn’t win an Oscar until 2016 for The Revenant (2015), where he endured freezing temperatures and raw bison liver for the role.

Other major films include:

Inception (2010) – A mind-bending sci-fi film by Christopher Nolan
Django Unchained (2012) – Played a villain for the first time
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) – Earned another Oscar nomination

Personal Life & Activism

DiCaprio is known for his environmental activism, producing documentaries on climate change and donating millions to conservation efforts.

He is also famous for his high-profile relationships and preference for dating models.

Interesting Facts

He turned down the role of Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones.
He owns an entire island in Belize, which he is turning into an eco-resort.

Leonardo DiCaprio remains one of the biggest movie stars of all time, known for his intensity, versatility, and commitment to meaningful storytelling.