Leonardo DiCaprio facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Leonardo DiCaprio
DiCaprio in 2019
Born	Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (1974-11-11) November 11, 1974 (age 50) 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 an American actor and film producer. He is famous for his roles in movies that tell true stories or are set in the past. He has won many awards, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and three Golden Globe Awards. By 2019, his films had earned over $7.2 billion worldwide. He has also been one of the highest-paid actors in the world many times.

Born in Los Angeles, DiCaprio started acting in TV commercials in the late 1980s. He had a role in the TV show Parenthood (1990–1991). His first big movie role was as author Tobias Wolff in This Boy's Life (1993). He earned his first Academy Award nomination for playing a boy with a developmental disability in What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993). DiCaprio became famous worldwide with the romantic movies Romeo + Juliet (1996) and Titanic (1997). After Titanic became the highest-earning film at the time, he took a break. He then chose roles in different types of movies, like the crime dramas Catch Me If You Can and Gangs of New York in 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 The Aviator (2004), Blood Diamond (2006), The Departed (2006), and Revolutionary Road (2008). He also made documentaries about the environment. He starred in successful films by famous directors, such as Inception (2010), Django Unchained (2012), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), and The Revenant (2015). He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for The Revenant. More recently, he starred in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), Don't Look Up (2021), and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023).

DiCaprio started Appian Way Productions, a company that has made some of his films and the TV series Greensburg (2008–2010). He also founded the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which works to raise awareness about the environment. He is a United Nations Messenger of Peace and often supports charities. In 2005, he was honored for his contributions to the arts. In 2016, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Early Life and First Acting Roles

DiCaprio was born on November 11, 1974, in Los Angeles, California. He is the only child of Irmelin Indenbirken, a legal secretary, and George DiCaprio, an artist. His parents met in college. His mother is German, and his father has Italian and German family roots.

DiCaprio's parents named him Leonardo 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 divorced. They decided to live in nearby homes to raise him together. DiCaprio grew up in a tough area. He has said his parents were very free-spirited and that he trusts them completely.

He attended several schools but disliked public school. He wanted to audition for acting jobs instead. He later left high school and earned a general equivalency diploma.

As a child, DiCaprio wanted to be a marine biologist or an actor. He chose acting because he loved pretending to be different characters and seeing people's reactions. He also saw his stepbrother earn a lot of money from a TV commercial, which motivated him. DiCaprio's first TV appearance was on Romper Room, a children's show. When he was 11, he almost quit acting to pursue breakdancing. At 14, he started appearing in commercials for brands like Matchbox cars, Kraft Singles, and Apple Jacks. In 1989, he had a small role in the TV show The New Lassie.

Early in his career, DiCaprio found it hard to get an agent. One agent even suggested he change his name to Lenny Williams, but he refused. He went to 100 auditions without getting a job for a year and a half. His father encouraged him not to give up. After a talent agent recommended him, DiCaprio got roles in about 20 commercials.

In the early 1990s, DiCaprio started acting regularly on TV. He appeared in The Outsiders (1990) and Santa Barbara (1990). His career improved when he was cast in Parenthood, a TV series based on a movie. He played a troubled teenager and was nominated for two Youth in Film Awards. He also appeared on the children's game show Fun House.

Career Highlights

1991–1996: Early Success and Breakthrough Roles

DiCaprio's first movie was the horror film Critters 3 in 1991. He later called it "one of the worst films of all time." In 1991, he also joined the TV show Growing Pains as Luke Brower, a homeless boy. His co-star Joanna Kerns remembered him as "intelligent and disarming" but also playful.

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

In 1992, Robert De Niro chose DiCaprio from 400 young actors to co-star with him in This Boy's Life. This film was based on a true story about a rebellious teenager, Toby (DiCaprio), his mother, and his stepfather. The director, Michael Caton-Jones, helped DiCaprio learn how to act on set. Critics praised DiCaprio's strong performance. This film helped him gain recognition.

DiCaprio played the brother of Johnny Depp's character in What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993). He played a boy with a developmental disability. To prepare, DiCaprio studied children with similar conditions. The film was a big success with critics. At 19, DiCaprio won an award and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. A critic from The New York Times said his performance was "startling and vivid."

In 1995, DiCaprio starred in the Western film The Quick and the Dead. He then played a high school basketball player who struggled with addiction in The Basketball Diaries. He also starred in the drama Total Eclipse (1995), wanting to show his acting talent. This film was about the relationship between two poets, Arthur Rimbaud (DiCaprio) and Paul Verlaine.

DiCaprio next starred with Claire Danes in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet (1996). This was a modern version of William Shakespeare's play, but it kept the original dialogue. DiCaprio was unsure at first, but his father encouraged him. Romeo + Juliet made DiCaprio a leading Hollywood actor. Critics praised his performance, and he won an award at the Berlin International Film Festival. He then played a troubled young man in Marvin's Room (1996), a family drama with Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton.

1997–2001: Titanic and Global Fame

DiCaprio turned down a role in another film to star with Kate Winslet in James Cameron's Titanic. They played characters from different social classes who fall in love on the RMS Titanic during its first, ill-fated voyage. DiCaprio had doubts, but Cameron convinced him. Titanic was the most expensive film ever made at the time, costing over $200 million. It became the highest-earning film, making over $2.1 billion worldwide.

The role of Jack Dawson made DiCaprio a huge superstar. Teenage girls and young women especially loved him, leading to a craze called "Leo-mania." The film won 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. However, DiCaprio was not nominated for an Oscar, which led to protests from his fans. He was nominated for other major awards, like a Golden Globe Award.

DiCaprio at a press conference for The Beach in 2000

DiCaprio said in 2000 that he felt disconnected from the "Titanic phenomenon." He knew he would likely never reach that level of popularity again. Critics have called his role in Titanic one of his best. The success of Titanic made him a teen idol, an image he wanted to change. He decided to work less to choose roles he truly wanted.

In 1998, DiCaprio had a small role in Woody Allen's film Celebrity. That same year, he played two roles: the powerful King Louis XIV and his secret twin brother Philippe in The Man in the Iron Mask. The film earned $180 million. Critics had mixed feelings, but many praised DiCaprio's acting.

In 1998, DiCaprio was offered a role in American Psycho but chose to star in The Beach instead. In this film, he played an American tourist who finds a secret island community in Thailand. The film earned almost three times its budget but received negative reviews. DiCaprio was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor. The film also faced criticism for damaging the filming location in Thailand, and DiCaprio later worked to help restore the area.

2002–2009: Working with Martin Scorsese and Producing Films

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, based on the true story of Frank Abagnale Jr., who committed fraud in the 1960s. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film was shot in many locations quickly. It was a critical success and earned $355 million. Critics praised DiCaprio for playing a different kind of character. He received his third Golden Globe nomination for this role.

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

Also in 2002, DiCaprio starred in Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York, a historical drama set in New York City in the mid-1800s. DiCaprio's interest in the film helped Scorsese get it made. Production was difficult and expensive. DiCaprio was drawn to playing Amsterdam Vallon, a young Irish-American gang leader, as it was a more mature role. The film earned $193 million worldwide and received good reviews.

In 2004, DiCaprio started his own production company, Appian Way Productions. He wanted to find unique stories and keep their original ideas during filmmaking. His first film as an executive producer was The Assassination of Richard Nixon. DiCaprio and Scorsese worked together again for The Aviator (2004), a film about Howard Hughes, a film director and aviation pioneer. DiCaprio also helped produce this film. The Aviator was a big success, earning $213 million. DiCaprio won his first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for this film and was nominated for an Academy Award.

In 2006, DiCaprio starred in the crime film The Departed and the thriller Blood Diamond. In Scorsese's The Departed, DiCaprio played Billy Costigan, a police officer working undercover with the Irish Mob in Boston. He enjoyed working with co-star Jack Nicholson. The film was highly praised and earned $291 million. Critics called DiCaprio's performance "explosive."

DiCaprio at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival

In Blood Diamond, DiCaprio played a diamond smuggler in Sierra Leone. He spent six months in Africa to prepare for the role and learned a South African accent. The film received good reviews, and DiCaprio was praised for his accent and his growth as an actor. He received nominations for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Blood Diamond.

In 2007, DiCaprio produced the documentary The 11th Hour, which he also co-wrote and narrated. It was about the state of the natural environment. His company, Appian Way, also produced the TV series Greensburg (2008–2010), about rebuilding a town in a sustainable way after a tornado. In 2008, DiCaprio starred in Body of Lies, a spy film. The film earned $118 million.

Later in 2008, DiCaprio worked with Kate Winslet again in the drama Revolutionary Road. They played a couple in a struggling marriage in the 1950s. Winslet suggested they make the film. DiCaprio saw his character as "unheroic." Critics praised their performances. DiCaprio earned his seventh Golden Globe nomination for the film. He also produced the horror film Orphan (2009), which was a commercial success.

2010–2013: Working with Famous Directors

DiCaprio continued to work with Scorsese in the 2010 thriller Shutter Island. He played Edward "Teddy" Daniels, a U.S. Marshal investigating a psychiatric hospital on an island. DiCaprio also co-produced the film. The film earned $294 million worldwide. Critics had mixed reviews, but many praised DiCaprio's acting.

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

DiCaprio's second film in 2010 was Christopher Nolan's science-fiction film Inception. DiCaprio played Dom Cobb, a character who enters people's dreams to get information. He was fascinated by the idea of a "dream-heist." The film earned $836 million worldwide, becoming his second highest-earning film. DiCaprio took a pay cut for the film but earned a lot from a share of ticket sales.

DiCaprio starred as J. Edgar Hoover in Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar (2011). This film was about Hoover's career as an FBI director. Critics praised DiCaprio's performance. Also in 2011, he produced the horror film Red Riding Hood and the political drama The Ides of March.

In 2012, DiCaprio played plantation owner Calvin Candie in Quentin Tarantino's Western film, Django Unchained. DiCaprio felt uncomfortable with the racism shown in the film but was convinced to keep it real. During filming, he accidentally cut his hand, but kept acting, and Tarantino used that take in the movie. The film was highly praised, and DiCaprio was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. Django Unchained earned $425 million worldwide.

In 2013, DiCaprio said he would take a long break from acting to work on environmental issues. That year, he had four films released as an actor and producer. His first was The Great Gatsby, where he played millionaire Jay Gatsby. The film received mixed reviews, but DiCaprio's performance was praised. Critics called his performance "tremendous" and "iconic." The film earned $353 million worldwide. DiCaprio also produced three other films in 2013: Runner Runner, Out of the Furnace, and The Wolf of Wall Street.

DiCaprio worked with Scorsese for the fifth time in The Wolf of Wall Street. This film was based on the true story of stockbroker Jordan Belfort (played by DiCaprio). DiCaprio wanted to play Belfort after reading his autobiography. He liked Belfort's honest story. The Wolf of Wall Street received positive reviews for Scorsese's and DiCaprio's work. Critics praised DiCaprio's energetic and funny performance. He won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and was nominated for an Academy Award.

2014–Present: Environmental Work and Awards

DiCaprio in 2015

DiCaprio was an executive producer for Virunga (2014), a documentary about protecting mountain gorillas. He was also an executive producer for Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret, a documentary about how animal farming affects the environment.

DiCaprio at the French premiere of The Revenant in 2016

In 2015, DiCaprio produced and starred as fur trapper Hugh Glass in The Revenant. DiCaprio found the role very challenging. 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 earned $533 million worldwide. It received great reviews, especially for DiCaprio's acting. He won many awards for this role, including the Academy Award, BAFTA, Critics' Choice, Golden Globe, and SAG Award for Best Actor. For the next three years, DiCaprio narrated documentaries and produced films. In 2016, he produced and narrated Before the Flood, a documentary about climate change.

After producing and narrating the 2019 climate change documentary Ice on Fire, DiCaprio returned to acting. He starred in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019). He played Rick Dalton, an aging TV actor, alongside Brad Pitt. DiCaprio and Pitt took a pay cut to help fund the film. DiCaprio enjoyed working with Pitt. He was fascinated by the film's tribute to Hollywood and the friendship between the characters. The film premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, and critics praised his and Pitt's performances. DiCaprio received nominations for an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA Award. 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 2020, DiCaprio was an executive producer for The Right Stuff, a TV series. In 2021, DiCaprio appeared in Adam McKay's comedy Don't Look Up. He spent five months working on the script. Starring with Jennifer Lawrence, they played astronomers trying to warn humanity about a comet. DiCaprio saw the film as a way to talk about the world's indifference to the climate crisis. He praised McKay for showing how people react to serious issues. Critics had mixed reviews for the film, but most praised DiCaprio's and Lawrence's acting. DiCaprio earned nominations for a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award. The film broke Netflix viewing records.

DiCaprio next starred in Scorsese's crime drama Killers of the Flower Moon (2023). He played Ernest Burkhart, a complex character. Critics called it one of the best performances of DiCaprio's career. He received another Golden Globe nomination. DiCaprio is set to star in an upcoming film by Paul Thomas Anderson.

Other Activities

Environmental Work

DiCaprio is very active in the climate change movement. He believes global warming is the most important environmental challenge. He learned about ecology from a young age. In 1998, he started the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. This group works to promote environmental awareness and supports organizations that protect the Earth. By 2018, his foundation had funded over 200 projects and given $100 million in support. He is also on the board of the World Wildlife Fund.

DiCaprio uses environment-friendly vehicles. In 2000, he chaired the national Earth Day celebration and discussed global warming with Bill Clinton. He spoke at the 2007 Live Earth concert. In 2013, he held an art auction that raised nearly $38.8 million for his foundation. In September 2014, the United Nations named DiCaprio a Messenger of Peace, focusing on climate change. He spoke at the 2014 UN Climate Summit, and his speech reached about one billion people. In 2015, he said he would stop investing in fossil fuels. He spoke at the UN again in April 2016 before the Paris Climate Change Agreement was signed.

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

In 2016, DiCaprio met Pope Francis and discussed environmental issues. A few days later, the Pope said he would act in a charity film. DiCaprio traveled to Indonesia in early 2016 and spoke out against harmful forest clearing methods. In July 2016, his foundation donated $15.6 million to protect wildlife and help with climate change. In October, he supported the Standing Rock tribe's opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline.

In April 2017, DiCaprio joined the People's Climate March to protest against President Donald Trump's actions on climate change. In July, a charity event by his foundation raised over $30 million in one night. His foundation donated $100 million in December 2018 to fight climate change. In May 2021, DiCaprio pledged $43 million to help conservation efforts in the Galápagos Islands.

Political Views

DiCaprio supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. In March 2020, he attended a fundraiser for Joe Biden. Before the 2020 election, DiCaprio narrated a Netflix documentary about voting rights, encouraging people to vote. He also highlighted issues like voter suppression. In 2023, DiCaprio testified during a trial related to a foreign influence campaign.

In October 2024, DiCaprio officially supported Democratic candidate Kamala Harris for president. He praised her policies on climate change mitigation and criticized her opponent Donald Trump.

Charity Work

In 1998, DiCaprio and his mother donated $35,000 for a computer center at a library in Los Feliz. In 2009, he joined Kate Winslet and others to raise money for Millvina Dean, a survivor of the RMS Titanic. DiCaprio and Winslet donated $20,000 to help Dean. In 2010, he donated $1 million to help Haiti after the earthquake. In 2011, DiCaprio supported a campaign to free Tony, a tiger kept at a truck stop. DiCaprio donated $61,000 to the gay rights group GLAAD in 2013.

In 2016, DiCaprio donated $65,000 to a charity gala for the Children of Armenia Fund. In 2017, he provided $1 million through his foundation for Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. In 2020, DiCaprio's foundation donated $3 million to help with the Australia bushfire relief. In 2022, media reported DiCaprio donated $10 million to support Ukraine during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Personal Life

DiCaprio is agnostic. He rarely gives interviews and prefers not to talk about his private life. He has dated several models, including Gisele Bündchen (1999-2005), Bar Refaeli (2005-2011), and Toni Garrn (2013-2014, 2017). He was also linked to singer Rihanna in 2016. He dated American model and actress Camila Morrone from 2017 to 2022. Since August 2023, he has been dating Italian model Vittoria Ceretti.

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

In 2005, DiCaprio was injured when a model hit him with a broken bottle at a party. He needed seventeen stitches. The model later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to prison.

In 2017, when a film production company was involved in a business investigation, DiCaprio returned gifts he had received from them. These gifts included an Oscar trophy, a painting by Pablo Picasso, and a collage by Jean-Michel Basquiat.

In June 2025, DiCaprio attended a wedding that led to some questions. Given his strong support for environmental causes, some people wondered about his decision to attend an event hosted by someone whose company has faced criticism for its environmental impact.

Filmography and Awards

According to Box Office Mojo and Rotten Tomatoes, 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), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), Don't Look Up (2021), and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023). His films have earned $7.2 billion worldwide.

DiCaprio has been recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the following:

• 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.

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