Leonardo DiCaprio facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Leonardo DiCaprio
DiCaprio in 2025
Born	Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (1974-11-11) November 11, 1974 (age 51) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor film producer
Years active	1989–present
Organization	Appian Way Productions Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation
Works	Full list Scorsese partnership
Title	United Nations Messenger of Peace (designated 2014)
Parent(s)	George DiCaprio (father)
Awards	Full list
Signature

Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (born November 11, 1974) is a famous American actor and film producer. He is well-known for his roles in movies that tell true stories or are set in the past. Leonardo has won many awards, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and three Golden Globe Awards. His films have earned billions of dollars around the world.

DiCaprio started his career in the late 1980s by appearing in TV commercials. He had a role in the TV show Parenthood (1990–1991). His first big movie role was in This Boy's Life (1993). He gained a lot of praise and his first Academy Award nomination for playing a boy with a developmental disability in What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993). Leonardo became a global star with the romantic films Romeo + Juliet (1996) and Titanic (1997). After Titanic became one of the highest-grossing films ever, he chose fewer roles for a while. He wanted to try different kinds of movies, like the crime dramas Catch Me If You Can and Gangs of New York (both 2002). Gangs of New York was the first of his many successful movies with director Martin Scorsese.

DiCaprio continued to receive praise for his acting in films like The Aviator (2004) and The Departed (2006). He also made movies about the environment. Some of his other successful films include Inception (2010), Django Unchained (2012), The Great Gatsby (2013), and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the survival drama The Revenant (2015). More recently, he starred in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), and One Battle After Another (2025).

Leonardo DiCaprio also founded Appian Way Productions, a company that has made some of his films and documentaries. He also started the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which works to protect the environment. He is a United Nations Messenger of Peace and often supports good causes. In 2016, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Leonardo DiCaprio's Early Life and Acting Journey

Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio was born on November 11, 1974, in Los Angeles, California. His mother, Irmelin Indenbirken, was from Germany, and his father, George DiCaprio, was an American artist. Leonardo got his unique name because his pregnant mother felt him kick while looking at a Leonardo da Vinci painting in Italy.

When he was one year old, his parents separated. However, they lived close by to raise Leonardo together. He grew up in a challenging neighborhood where he saw many difficulties. Leonardo has described his parents as very open-minded and the people he trusts most.

As a child, Leonardo wanted to be an actor or a marine biologist. He chose acting because he loved to imitate people and characters. He enjoyed seeing how people reacted to his impressions. His interest in performing started very young, when he danced on stage at age two and got a great response. He also saw his stepbrother earn money from a TV commercial, which inspired him.

Leonardo says his first TV appearance was on Romper Room, a children's show. He was reportedly asked to leave for being disruptive, though the show's host later said this wasn't true. At age 11, he almost stopped acting to pursue breakdancing after winning a competition. But he stuck with acting and started appearing in commercials for toys and food brands at 14.

Finding an agent was tough at first. One agent even suggested he change his name to Lenny Williams, but Leonardo refused. After many auditions without success, his father encouraged him to keep trying. Soon, he started getting roles in commercials.

First Steps in Television and Film

By the early 1990s, Leonardo began acting regularly on television. He had a role in the pilot of The Outsiders (1990) and an episode of Santa Barbara (1990). He then joined the cast of Parenthood, a TV series based on a movie. His work that year earned him two nominations at the 12th Youth in Film Awards. He also appeared on the children's game show Fun House, where he performed stunts.

Leonardo made his film debut in 1991 in the horror movie Critters 3. He later joked that it was "possibly one of the worst films of all time." In 1991, he also joined the sitcom Growing Pains as Luke Brower, a homeless boy taken in by a family. His co-star Joanna Kerns remembered him as "especially intelligent and disarming."

Lasse Hallström directed DiCaprio in What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), for which he earned his first Academy Award nomination.

In 1992, Leonardo was chosen by actor Robert De Niro to co-star with him in This Boy's Life. The film was about a rebellious teenager named Toby and his challenging family situation. This movie helped him gain more recognition.

DiCaprio played the developmentally disabled brother of Johnny Depp's character in What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993). To prepare, he studied children with similar conditions. The film was a big success, and at just 19, Leonardo earned his first Golden Globe Award and Academy Award nominations. Critics praised his intense and vivid performance.

His first role in 1995 was in the Western film The Quick and the Dead. Co-star Sharon Stone even paid his salary herself when the studio was unsure about casting him. Next, he starred as a high school basketball player and writer in The Basketball Diaries.

Leonardo then starred with Claire Danes in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet (1996). This was a modern version of William Shakespeare's classic love story, but it kept the original language. This film made Leonardo a leading actor in Hollywood. He won a Silver Bear for Best Actor at the 1997 Berlin International Film Festival. He also played a troubled young man in Marvin's Room (1996), acting alongside famous actresses Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton.

Global Stardom with Titanic

DiCaprio at a press conference for The Beach in 2000

In 1997, Leonardo starred with Kate Winslet in James Cameron's Titanic. They played characters from different social classes who fall in love on the RMS Titanic. Titanic was the most expensive film ever made at the time. It became the highest-grossing film in the world, earning over $2.1 billion. It won 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Leonardo was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.

Titanic turned Leonardo into a huge superstar, especially among young fans, which was called "Leo-mania." He became known as a popular leading actor, an image he later tried to change by choosing different types of roles. He said in 2000 that he didn't expect to reach that level of popularity again.

In 1998, Leonardo had a small role in Woody Allen's film Celebrity. That same year, he played two roles: the villainous King Louis XIV and his secret twin brother Philippe in The Man in the Iron Mask. The film earned $180 million worldwide.

In 2000, Leonardo took the lead role in The Beach. He played an American tourist who finds a secret island community in Thailand. The film earned a lot of money but also received criticism for damaging the filming location, which Leonardo later worked to restore.

Collaborations with Martin Scorsese and Environmental Work

DiCaprio attending an event for Gangs of New York with Martin Scorsese and Cameron Diaz at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival

DiCaprio at 2002 Cannes Film Festival

Leonardo 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, directed by Steven Spielberg. It was based on the true story of Frank Abagnale Jr., a young man who pretended to be different professionals and traveled widely. The film was a big success, earning $355 million.

Also in 2002, Leonardo starred in Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York, a historical drama set in New York City in the mid-19th century. Leonardo played Amsterdam Vallon, a young leader in a street group. This film marked a shift for him towards more mature roles.

In 2004, Leonardo founded his production company, Appian Way Productions. He wanted to find unique stories and keep their original ideas during filmmaking. His company first produced The Assassination of Richard Nixon.

DiCaprio and Scorsese worked together again for The Aviator (2004), a film about Howard Hughes, a famous film director and aviation pioneer. Hughes had obsessive–compulsive disorder, a condition where people have repetitive thoughts and actions. Leonardo also co-produced this film. The Aviator was a big success, and Leonardo won his first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.

In 2006, Leonardo starred in the crime film The Departed and the political thriller Blood Diamond. In The Departed, he played a police officer working secretly to gather information about a criminal group in Boston. He enjoyed working with co-star Jack Nicholson. For Blood Diamond, he played a character involved in the diamond trade during a time of conflict in Sierra Leone. He spent six months in Africa to prepare for the role and worked with orphaned children.

DiCaprio at the Body of Lies film premiere in London, 2008

In 2007, Leonardo produced, co-wrote, and narrated The 11th Hour, a documentary about the state of our planet's environment. His company also produced Greensburg (2008–2010), a TV series about rebuilding a town in a sustainable way after a tornado. In 2008, he starred in Body of Lies, a spy film.

Later in 2008, Leonardo worked with Kate Winslet again in the drama Revolutionary Road. They played a couple facing challenges in their marriage in the 1950s. Critics praised Leonardo's performance as a complex character.

Exciting Films with Top Directors

DiCaprio, 2010

Leonardo continued his work with Martin Scorsese in the 2010 psychological thriller Shutter Island. He played a U.S. Marshal investigating a psychiatric facility on an island. The film was a commercial success, earning $294 million worldwide.

DiCaprio (first from the right) with the cast of Inception at the film's premiere in 2010

His second role in 2010 was in Christopher Nolan's science-fiction film Inception. In this movie, he played Dom Cobb, an "extractor" who enters people's dreams to get information. The film was a huge success, becoming his second highest-grossing film after Titanic. Leonardo earned a large amount from the film's ticket sales.

In 2011, Leonardo starred as J. Edgar Hoover in Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar. This film was a true story about Hoover's career as an FBI director. Critics praised Leonardo's deep and nuanced performance.

In 2012, Leonardo played a challenging character named Calvin Candie in Quentin Tarantino's Western film Django Unchained. He felt uncomfortable with some of the difficult historical themes in the script, but his co-stars and Tarantino encouraged him to portray the role honestly. The film was highly praised and earned $425 million worldwide.

DiCaprio in 2014

In 2013, Leonardo starred as the millionaire Jay Gatsby in Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby. This film was based on the famous 1925 novel. Critics praised Leonardo's performance, calling it "tremendous" and "iconic." The film earned $353 million worldwide.

Leonardo reunited with Scorsese for the fifth time in The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). This film was about a stockbroker's rise and fall in the financial world. Leonardo had wanted to play this role for a long time. The film received positive reviews, and Leonardo won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.

Environmental Focus and Major Awards

DiCaprio in 2015

In 2014, Leonardo was an executive producer for Virunga, a documentary about protecting the last mountain gorillas from war and poaching. He also produced Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret, which explores how animal agriculture affects the environment.

In 2015, Leonardo produced and starred as fur trapper Hugh Glass in Alejandro G. Iñárritu's survival drama The Revenant. This was a very difficult role; he had to eat raw bison liver and sleep in animal carcasses. He also learned to shoot a musket and speak Native American languages. The film was a huge success and earned Leonardo many awards, including the Academy Award for Best Actor, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe Award.

DiCaprio, 2016

After winning his Oscar, Leonardo continued to produce and narrate documentaries. In 2016, he produced The Ivory Game, Catching the Sun, and Before the Flood, which is about climate change.

In 2019, after a four-year break from acting, Leonardo returned in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. He played Rick Dalton, an aging television actor, alongside Brad Pitt. Critics praised his and Pitt's performances and their great chemistry. The film earned $374 million.

DiCaprio (second from right) in 2020 promoting Once Upon a Time in Hollywood with Quentin Tarantino, Margot Robbie, and Brad Pitt

In 2021, Leonardo appeared in Adam McKay's satirical comedy Don't Look Up. He and Jennifer Lawrence played two astronomers trying to warn humanity about a comet that could end life on Earth. Leonardo saw this film as a way to talk about how people sometimes ignore the climate crisis. The film was very popular on Netflix.

DiCaprio next starred in Scorsese's historical drama Killers of the Flower Moon (2023). He played a complex character in the film, which was based on a true story. Critics called it one of his best performances.

DiCaprio in November 2025

In 2025, Leonardo starred in Paul Thomas Anderson's film One Battle After Another. For his role, he received his seventh Academy Award acting nomination. He is also set to appear in a planned sequel to the 1995 film Heat.

Leonardo DiCaprio's Other Activities

Protecting Our Planet: Activism

Leonardo DiCaprio is a very active supporter of the climate change movement. He believes global warming is the most important environmental challenge we face. From a young age, he loved learning about ecology and watching documentaries about rainforests and endangered species.

In 1998, he started the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. This non-profit organization works to raise awareness about environmental issues and supports projects that help protect our planet. By 2018, his foundation had funded over 200 projects and given $100 million in support. He also serves on the boards of organizations like the World Wildlife Fund.

Leonardo drives environment-friendly hybrid cars. However, some have pointed out that his use of private jets and large yachts, while sometimes necessary for his work, can have a big impact on the environment.

In 2000, he chaired the national Earth Day celebration and discussed plans to deal with global warming with Bill Clinton. He spoke at the Live Earth event in 2007. In 2013, he organized an art auction that raised nearly $38.8 million for his foundation.

In September 2014, the United Nations Secretary-General named Leonardo a United Nations Messenger of Peace, focusing on climate change. He spoke at the 2014 UN Climate Summit, and his speech reached an estimated one billion people. In 2016, he spoke at the UN again before the signing of the Paris Climate Change Agreement.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and DiCaprio at the Our Ocean Conference in 2016

In 2016, Leonardo met with Pope Francis to discuss environmental issues. He also traveled to Indonesia to criticize harmful forest clearing methods used by the palm oil industry. In July 2016, his foundation donated $15.6 million to protect wildlife and support rights of Native Americans. In 2017, he joined the People's Climate March to protest against inaction on climate change. In May 2021, he pledged $43 million to help conservation efforts in the Galápagos Islands.

Supporting Good Causes

Leonardo has encouraged people to vote and supported leaders who focus on environmental protection.

In 1998, Leonardo and his mother donated $35,000 for a "Leonardo DiCaprio Computer Center" at a library. In 2009, he joined a campaign with Kate Winslet and others to help Millvina Dean, a survivor of the RMS Titanic. Leonardo and Kate donated $20,000 to support her.

In 2010, he donated $1 million to help after the 2010 Haiti earthquake. In 2011, he supported a campaign to release Tony, a tiger living at a truck stop. He donated $61,000 to the gay rights group GLAAD in 2013.

In 2016, Leonardo donated $65,000 to a fundraising event for the Children of Armenia Fund. He also provided $1 million through his foundation for Hurricane Harvey relief efforts in 2017. In 2020, his foundation donated $3 million to help with the Australia bushfire relief. In 2022, he also supported Ukraine during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Motorsport and Documentaries

Leonardo is involved with the FIA Formula E World Championship, an electric car racing series, because of his environmental activism. In 2013, he became a co-founder of the Venturi Racing team. This team made its debut in the first Formula E Championship in 2014–15.

In 2015, Leonardo was named chairman of the Formula E Sustainability Committee. This committee works to promote electric vehicles and sustainable urban travel. He even drove one of the Formula E cars himself in 2018.

He also produced the documentary And We Go Green, released in 2019. This film followed the events of the 2017–18 Formula E Championship and showed behind-the-scenes action.

Leonardo DiCaprio's Personal Life

Leonardo DiCaprio is agnostic. He generally keeps his personal life private and rarely gives interviews about it.

He owns homes in Los Angeles and New York City. In 2009, he bought an island called Blackadore Caye off Belize, where he plans to open an environmentally friendly resort. In 2014, he bought a famous house in Palm Springs, California.

In 2019, while on vacation, Leonardo helped rescue a man who had fallen overboard from a boat. His crew rescued the man, who had been in the water for 11 hours, just before a storm.

In 2025, Leonardo received some criticism for attending a wedding. People questioned his choice because of his strong activism for environmental causes, and the company of one of the people getting married has faced criticism for its environmental impact.

Filmography and Awards

According to film websites, some of Leonardo DiCaprio's most successful films include What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Romeo + Juliet (1996), Titanic (1997), Catch Me If You Can (2002), The Aviator (2004), The Departed (2006), Inception (2010), Django Unchained (2012), The Great Gatsby (2013), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), The Revenant (2015), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), Don't Look Up (2021), Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), and One Battle After Another (2025). His films have earned over $7.2 billion worldwide.

Leonardo DiCaprio has been recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the Oscars) for his acting:

• 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 Actor and Best Picture 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
• 98th Academy Awards (2026): Nominated for Best Actor for One Battle After Another

He 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.

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.

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.'"

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