Leonardo DiCaprio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leonardo DiCaprio
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DiCaprio in 2019
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Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio
November 11, 1974 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Years active | 1989–present |
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| Title | United Nations Messenger of Peace (designated 2014) |
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| Awards | Full list |
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Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (born November 11, 1974) is a famous American actor and film producer. He is well-known for his roles in movies based on real-life stories and historical events. Leonardo has won many awards for his acting. By 2019, his films had earned over $7.2 billion around the world. This made him one of the highest-paid actors many times.
DiCaprio started acting when he was a child. He had several important roles that helped him become successful. He also started his own film company, Appian Way Productions. He created the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, too. This group works to protect the environment.
Contents
Early Life and First Acting Roles
Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio was born in Los Angeles, California, on November 11, 1974. His mother, Irmelin, was a legal secretary. His father, George DiCaprio, wrote and sold comic books. Leonardo's father has Italian and German family roots. His mother's family was from Germany and Russia.
DiCaprio was named Leonardo because his mother felt him kick for the first time while looking at a Leonardo da Vinci painting. This happened at a museum in Florence, Italy. When he was one year old, his parents separated. But they still wanted to raise him together. So, they lived in two small homes next to each other with a shared garden. Leonardo grew up with his father's girlfriend's son, Adam Farrar, and they became close friends. Leonardo went to several schools. He later left high school but earned his GED.
As a child, Leonardo loved to pretend to be different characters. He enjoyed making people react to his acting. He decided that acting would be a good way to earn money to help his mother. His first TV appearance was on a children's show called Romper Room. He also appeared in commercials for products like Matchbox cars and Apple Jacks. By the early 1990s, he was acting regularly on television.
Leonardo's Film Career
Early Work and Big Break (1991–1996)
Leonardo's first movie was Critters 3 in 1991. Later that year, he joined the TV show Growing Pains.
In 1992, he had a small part in the movie Poison Ivy. He then acted alongside Robert De Niro in This Boy's Life.
From 1993 to 1996, DiCaprio starred in more films. These included What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Quick and the Dead, and Romeo + Juliet.
Titanic and Global Fame (1997–2001)
In 1997, DiCaprio starred with Kate Winslet in James Cameron's Titanic. They played two people from different social classes who fall in love on the RMS Titanic during its first, tragic trip. Titanic became the highest-earning film of its time. Leonardo's role as Jack Dawson made him a huge star. This led to "Leo-mania," where teenage girls and young women loved him. After Titanic, Leonardo could choose almost any role he wanted.
In 1998, DiCaprio played two roles in The Man in the Iron Mask. He played the mean King Louis XIV and his secret, kind twin brother Philippe. He was also offered a role in American Psycho (2000). But he chose to star in The Beach instead.
Becoming a Film Producer (2002–2009)
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DiCaprio turned down the role of Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002). His first film that year was Catch Me If You Can. This movie was based on the true story of Frank Abagnale Jr.. He tricked people out of millions of dollars before he was 19. This film became the second highest-earning movie after Titanic.
Also in 2002, DiCaprio starred in Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York. This historical drama was set in New York City in the mid-1800s.
In 2004, DiCaprio started his own production company, Appian Way Productions. It was named after a famous Italian road. His first job as a producer was for The Assassination of Richard Nixon. He then helped produce and starred in The Aviator.
In 2006, DiCaprio starred in the crime film The Departed and the political thriller Blood Diamond.
In 2007, DiCaprio produced the comedy-drama Gardener of Eden. Later that year, he produced, co-wrote, and narrated The 11th Hour. This was a documentary about the state of the natural environment. DiCaprio also helped create and produce Greensburg (2008–2010), a TV series about an eco-friendly town.
In 2008, DiCaprio starred in another movie with Kate Winslet called Revolutionary Road. He ended the 2000s by producing the horror film Orphan in 2009.
Working with Top Directors (2010–2013)
After starring in the thriller Shutter Island and the science-fiction film Inception in 2010, DiCaprio took a short break from acting. He returned in November to star in Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar. This was a movie about the life of J. Edgar Hoover. He also produced Red Riding Hood, a romantic horror film based on the famous folk tale.
2012 and 2013 were busy years for DiCaprio. In 2012, he played a plantation owner in Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained. In January 2013, DiCaprio said he would take a long break to "fly around the world doing good for the environment." However, he still had four movies released as an actor and producer. He starred in The Great Gatsby. He produced Runner Runner and Out of the Furnace. He also co-produced and starred in The Wolf of Wall Street.
Environmental Films and Awards (2014–Present)
Since 2014, much of DiCaprio's work has focused on the environment. He has produced documentaries like Virunga, Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret, and Ice on Fire.
In 2015, DiCaprio produced and played fur trapper Hugh Glass in The Revenant. This role finally won him an Academy Award.
In recent years, DiCaprio has continued acting. He appeared in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), Don't Look Up (2021), and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023). He also produced The Right Stuff in 2020.
Other Activities
Environmental Work
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DiCaprio is a United Nations Messenger of Peace. In 1998, he started the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. This group works to raise awareness about environmental issues. By 2018, his foundation had supported over 200 projects, giving $100 million to help. He believes global warming is the most important environmental challenge in the world.
However, some people criticize his use of private jets and large yachts. They say these create a lot of pollution, which goes against his environmental message.
Political Views
DiCaprio generally supports the Democratic Party. He supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. In March 2020, he attended an event to raise money for Joe Biden. He believes that laws requiring people to show ID before they vote can make it harder for some people to vote.
Helping Others
In 1998, DiCaprio and his mother gave $35,000 to create a "Leonardo DiCaprio Computer Center" at a library. In 2009, he helped raise money to pay for the nursing home costs of Millvina Dean. She was one of the last survivors of the RMS Titanic. He has also supported many other relief efforts.
Personal Life
DiCaprio prefers not to talk about his personal life. He says he is agnostic, meaning he isn't sure if God exists, but he is not an atheist.
In 2005, he was injured at a Hollywood party and needed stitches on his face and neck.
DiCaprio owns homes in Los Angeles and New York City. In 2009, he bought an island called Blackadore Caye off Belize. He plans to open an environment-friendly resort there. Some critics worry that building on the island could harm its marine habitat. In 2014, he bought a famous house in Palm Springs, California.
Movies and Awards
Some of DiCaprio's most successful films include What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Romeo + Juliet (1996), Titanic (1997), Catch Me If You Can (2002), Gangs of New York (2002), The Aviator (2004), The Departed (2006), Blood Diamond (2006), Shutter Island (2010), Inception (2010), Django Unchained (2012), The Great Gatsby (2013), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), The Revenant (2015), and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019).
DiCaprio has been nominated for many Academy Awards (also known as the Oscars):
- 66th Academy Awards (1994): Nominated for Best Supporting Actor for What's Eating Gilbert Grape
- 77th Academy Awards (2005): Nominated for Best Actor for The Aviator
- 79th Academy Awards (2007): Nominated for Best Actor for Blood Diamond
- 86th Academy Awards (2014): Nominated for Best Picture and Best Actor for The Wolf of Wall Street
- 88th Academy Awards (2016): Won Best Actor for The Revenant
- 92nd Academy Awards (2020): Nominated for Best Actor for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
DiCaprio has won three Golden Globe Awards: Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for The Aviator and The Revenant, and Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for The Wolf of Wall Street. He also won a BAFTA Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor for The Revenant.
In 2005, he was honored with the Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for his work in the arts. In 2016, he was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world. In 2022, readers of Empire magazine voted him one of the 50 greatest actors of all time.
Famous Quotes by Leonardo DiCaprio
- "I have no connection with me during that whole Titanic phenomenon and what my face became around the world [...] I'll never reach that state of popularity again, and I don't expect to. It's not something I'm going to try to achieve either."
- "My career should adapt to me. Fame is like a VIP pass wherever you want to go."
- "If you can do what you do best and be happy, you're further along in life than most people."
- "Don't think for a moment that I'm really like any of the characters I've played. I'm not. That's why it's called 'acting.'"
Fun Facts About Leonardo DiCaprio
- His mother named him Leonardo because she felt him kick for the first time while looking at a Da Vinci painting in Italy.
- As a child, Leonardo wanted to be either a marine biologist or an actor.
- Someone once told DiCaprio to change his name to sound more American.
- His first nomination for an Academy Award was for What's Eating Gilbert Grape in 1993.
- He lost his first five Academy Award nominations before winning one.
- Leonardo's Titanic haircut was actually banned in Afghanistan at one point!
- He once received a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor in 2001 for his role in The Beach.
- DiCaprio wanted to star in Moulin Rouge but decided his singing voice was too "atrocious" for the film.
- Leo owns a giant pet tortoise that could live for up to 80 years.
- He and Kate Winslet helped pay for the nursing home fees of the last living Titanic survivor.
Images for kids
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DiCaprio at a press conference for The Beach in 2000
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DiCaprio with Martin Scorsese and Cameron Diaz at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival
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DiCaprio at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival
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DiCaprio with the cast of Inception at the film's premiere in 2010
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DiCaprio at the French premiere of The Revenant in 2016
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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and DiCaprio at the Our Ocean Conference in 2016
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DiCaprio in 2008
See also
In Spanish: Leonardo DiCaprio para niños
- Youngest nominees for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
- List of actors with Academy Award nominations
- Actors with two or more Academy Awards nominations
- List of Golden Globe winners
- Grouvellinus leonardodicaprioi, a beetle named after DiCaprio
- Spintharus leonardodicaprioi, a spider named after DiCaprio
