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 |
Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (November 11, 1974) is an American actor and film producer. He is known for his work in biographical and period films. DeCaprio has received many nominations and awards in the film industry. As of 2019, his films have grossed (the amount of money that a company earns after paying for all its costs) $7.2 billion worldwide. DiCaprio has been placed among the world's highest-paid actors eight times.
DiCaprio began acting as a child and had several famous roles that made him rich and successful. He founded Appian Way Productions and the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, a nonprofit organization devoted to bringing attention to the environment.
Contents
Early life and acting background
Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio was born on November 11, 1974, in Los Angeles, California. He is the only child of Irmelin (née Indenbirken), a legal secretary, and George DiCaprio, an underground comix writer, publisher, and distributor of comic books. His father is of Italian and German descent. His maternal grandfather, Wilhelm Indenbirken, was German, and his maternal grandmother, Helene Indenbirken, was a Russian immigrant living in Germany. DiCaprio was raised as a Catholic.
DiCaprio's parents named him Leonardo because his pregnant mother first felt him kick while she was looking at a Leonardo da Vinci painting in the Uffizi museum in Florence, Italy. When DiCaprio was one year old, his father moved out of their house after he fell in love with another woman. Because his parents wanted to raise him together, they moved into twin cottages with a shared garden in Echo Park, a neighborhood in Los Angeles. DiCaprio's father lived with his girlfriend and her son, Adam Farrar. Leonardo and Adam developed a close relationship as they grew up. Leonardo attended several schools before dropping out of high school in his third year and eventually earning a general equivalency diploma (GED).
As a child, DiCaprio liked impersonating characters and imitating people to see people's reactions to his acting. He decided that acting would be a good way for him to make money to help his mother. He said that his first television appearance was in the children's series Romper Room. He appeared in several commercials, including Matchbox cars by Mattel, Kraft Singles, Bubble Yum, and Apple Jacks. By the early 1990s, he began acting regularly on television.
Career
1991–1996: Early work and breakthrough
Leonardo's first film was Critters 3 in 1991. Later in 1991, he became a cast member of the sitcom Growing Pains.
In 1992, DiCaprio played a small part in the first installment of the Poison Ivy film series. He later played in Robert De Niro's This Boy's Life.
From 1993 - 1996, DiCaprio starred in more films, including What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Quick and the Dead, and Romeo + Juliet.
1997–2001: Titanic and worldwide recognition
In 1997, DiCaprio starred opposite Kate Winslet in James Cameron's Titanic (1997) as members of different social classes who fall in love aboard RMS Titanic during its ill-fated maiden voyage. Titanic was the highest-grossing film at the time. His role of Jack Dawson transformed DeCaprio into a superstar, resulting in what became known as "Leo-mania:" teenage girls and young women adored him. Titanic became the highest-grossing film at the time. After Titanic, Dicaprio was able to choose the roles he wanted.
In 1998, DiCaprio starred in The Man in the Iron Mask. He played two parts in the movie: the villainous King Louis XIV and his secret, sympathetic twin brother Philippe. He was also cast in American Psycho (2000), but he left the project and starred in The Beach instead.
2002–2009: Venture into film production
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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 the biopic Catch Me If You Can, based on the life of Frank Abagnale Jr., who before his 19th birthday committed check fraud to make millions in the 1960s. The film became the second highest-grossing release after Titanic.
Also in 2002, DiCaprio starred in Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York, a historical drama set in the mid-19th century in the Five Points district of New York City.
In 2004, DiCaprio founded the production company Appian Way Productions, a namesake of the Italian road. His first producing task was in The Assassination of Richard Nixon. He co-produced and starred in The Aviator next.
In 2006, DiCaprio starred in the crime film The Departed and the political war 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, a documentary on the state of the natural environment. DiCaprio was also a creator and an executive producer for Planet Green's Greensburg (2008–2010), which ran for three seasons.
In 2008, DiCaprio starred in another movie with Kate Winslet called Revolutionary Road. He finished the 2000s by producing the horror film Orphan in 2009.
2010–2013: Films with high-profile directors
After playing roles in the psychological thriller Shutter Island and the science-fiction film Inception in 2010, DiCaprio took a small break from acting to have some time for himself. He returned the following November in Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar, biopic about J. Edgar Hoover. He also produced Catherine Hardwicke's romantic horror film Red Riding Hood, very loosely based on the folk tale Little Red Riding Hood.
2012 and 2013 were more productive years for DiCaprio. In 2012, he starred as a plantation owner in Quentin Tarantino's Spaghetti Western, Django Unchained. In January 2013, DiCaprio said he would take a long break from acting to "fly around the world doing good for the environment." However, he had four releases as an actor and a producer. He starred in The Great Gatsby, produced Runner Runner and Out of the Furnace, and co-produced and starred in The Wolf of Wall Street.
2014–present: Environmental documentaries and awards success
Much of DiCaprio's work since 2014 has focused on the environment. He has produced documentary films like Virunga, Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret, and Ice on Fire.
In 2015, DiCaprio produced and played fur trapper Hugh Glass in The Revenant.
In 2019, DiCaprio returned to acting in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Don't Look Up (2021), and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023). He also produced The Right Stuff in 2020.
Other ventures
Activism
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DiCaprio is a United Nations Messenger of Peace. In 1998, he established the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to promoting environmental awareness. By 2018, the foundation had funded more than 200 projects, providing $100 million in support. He believes global warming is the world's "number-one environmental challenge."
Despite his environmental stance, people criticize use of private jets and large yachts as hypocritical because to their large carbon footprints.
Political views
DiCaprio's political opinions align with the Democratic Party. He endorsed Hillary Clinton for the 2016 presidential election. In March 2020, DiCaprio attended a fundraiser for Joe Biden. He believes requiring someone to show identification before they vote is restrictive.
Philanthropy
In 1998, DiCaprio and his mother donated $35,000 for a "Leonardo DiCaprio Computer Center" at a library in Los Feliz. In May 2009, DiCaprio helped raise money to support the fees of the nursing home where Millvina Dean, a survivor of the RMS Titanic, was living. He has supported various relief efforts as well.
Personal life
DiCaprio is agnostic but does not identify as an atheist. He does not like to discuss his personal life.
He has been romantically involved with models aged 25 or younger, including Gisele Bündchen, Bar Refaeli, Toni Garrn, and Camila Morrone. In 2005, model Aretha Wilson hit him over the head with a broken bottle at a Hollywood party and injured his face. As a result, he required seventeen stitches to his face and neck.
DiCaprio owns houses in Los Angeles and apartments in New York City. In 2009, he bought an island, Blackadore Caye, off mainland Belize, on which he is would like to open an environment-friendly resort. Critics say that building on the island is a selfish attempt to make more money; it would irreparably damage the island’s marine habitat. In 2014, he purchased the original Dinah Shore residence in Palm Springs, California.
Filmography and accolades
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) and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019).
DiCaprio has been recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the following performances:
- 66th Academy Awards (1994): Best Supporting Actor, nomination, for What's Eating Gilbert Grape
- 77th Academy Awards (2005): Best Actor, nomination, for The Aviator
- 79th Academy Awards (2007): Best Actor, nomination, for Blood Diamond
- 86th Academy Awards (2014): Best Picture and Best Actor, nominations, for The Wolf of Wall Street
- 88th Academy Awards (2016): Best Actor, win, for The Revenant
- 92nd Academy Awards (2020): Best Actor, nomination, 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, as well as a BAFTA Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor for The Revenant.
In 2005, he was named a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for his contributions to the arts, and in 2016, he appeared in Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world. DiCaprio was voted one of the 50 greatest actors of all time in a 2022 readers' poll by Empire.
Leonardo DiCaprio quotes
- "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.'"
Interesting facts about Leonardo DiCaprio
- During a trip to Italy, his mother felt her baby kick for the first time while looking at a Da Vinci painting at the Uffizi Museum in Florence, which led her to name him Leonardo.
- As a child, Leonardo wanted to be either a marine biologist or an actor.
- DiCaprio was advised to change his name to appeal to an American audience.
- His first nomination for an Academy Award was for What's Eating Gilbert Grape in 1993.
- He lost the first five of his Academy Award nominations.
- Leonardo's Titanic haircut was banned in Afghanistan.
- He once received the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor in 2001 following his role in The Beach.
- DiCaprio wanted to star in Moulin Rouge but decided that his singing voice was too "atrocious" for the film.
- Leo owns a giant pet tortoise that could live up to 80 years.
- He and Kate Winslet helped pay nursing home fees for the last living Titanic survivor.
See also
In Spanish: Leonardo DiCaprio para niños
- List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees – Youngest nominees for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
- List of actors with Academy Award nominations
- List of actors with two or more Academy Awards nominations in acting categories
- List of Golden Globe winners
- Grouvellinus leonardodicaprioi, a beetle named after DiCaprio
- Spintharus leonardodicaprioi, a spider named after DiCaprio
