Leonardo DiCaprio: The Acclaimed Actor’s Life Journey, Girlfriends, & Achievements
Born in Los Angeles, Leonardo DiCaprio began his career with television commercials and then got a break in movies.
Born on 11th November 1974, Leonardo DiCaprio has played several unconventional roles in biopics and films. In 2019, his films collected around $8 billion, and he was ranked eight times in the annual rankings of highest-paid actors in the world. He is also the founder of Appian Way products. It is a production company and has produced several films and documentary series Greensburg.
He also owns the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, an organization devoted to promoting environmental awareness. In 2005, he was referred to as the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for his contributions to the arts. Few industry actors are known for playing iconic roles, and Leonardo DiCaprio is recognized for playing unconventional roles. He is well known for playing Jack in Titanic, but not many of his fans knew about his struggle and early life.
Let us know more about his iconic roles and achievements to date.
Leonardo’s Early Life and Family
Leonardo DiCaprio is the only child of George Decaprio, a publisher and distributor of comic books, and Irmelin. His father is of Italian and German descent, and his mother is conversant in Italian. His maternal grandfather was German, and his maternal grandmother was a Russian-born German citizen. His parents met when they attended the same college and moved to Los Angeles after graduating.
You would find this amazing, but he was named Leonardo because his mother was looking at Leonardo De Vinci paintings in the museum when he first kicked. The couple got separated when he was a year old and decided to live next door so that he couldn’t feel his father’s absence. He joined Seeds Elementary School and then went to John Marshall High School after attending the Los Angeles Centre for Enriched Studies for four years.
In his earlier days, he dreamt of becoming a marine biologist or an actor. He decided to become an actor as he was fond of imitating people. When he was two, he danced on stage randomly and got an amazing response from the crowd.
Once his older stepbrother earned $50,000 from a television commercial, and he got fascinated with this. He finally decided to become an actor and started giving the auditions. When he turned 14 years old, he appeared in several commercials, like matchbox cars by Mattel, Bubble Yum, and more.
At the beginning of his career, Leonardo DiCaprio found it difficult to find an agent. One of the agents advised him to change his name to Lenny Williams to attract the audience, but he denied doing this. This talented actor remained jobless for a year, even after giving 100 auditions.
Therefore, he decided to quit acting, but his father encouraged him to practice more and not give up. By 1990, he began acting on television and received a break the same year when he appeared in the Parenthood series.
The Early Years of His Film Career
In 1993, Leonardo DiCaprio played an uncredited role in an American comedy-drama, Roseanne. In the same year, he made his film debut in the horror direct-to-video film Critters 3. He thinks Critters 3 was his worst movie and makes sure that it doesn’t happen again. In 1992, he played a supporting role in the Poison Ivy Film series and was chosen by popular American actor and producer Robert De Niro to play as a lead in This Boys Life.
In 1993, Leonardo DiCaprio co-starred as the disabled brother of Johnny’s Deep character in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. The film gained attention, and Leonardo received a National Board of Review Award for Supporting Actor and nominations for Golden Globe and Academy Award.
His first effort was seen in 1995 in the western film The Quick and the Dead. The film didn’t perform well at the box office. However, his acting was noted by many directors. In 1995, he played as a teenager and a drug-addicted high school basketball player and writer.
In 1996, Leonardo DiCaprio starred opposite Claire Danes in the film Romeo + Juliet. The project collected around $150 million, and Leonardo received Silver Bear for Best Actor at Berlin International Film Festival.
His Iconic Role in Titanic Would Be Loved Forever
Do you know Leonardo DiCaprio rejected an offer for the film Boogie Nights and then starred opposite Kate Winslet in Titanic? He initially doubted his acting but was encouraged by Titanic’s director James Cameron to play a lead. The film was made with a budget of more than $200 million. It was one of the most expensive films made ever where the replica of the ship was created.
The movie grossed nearly $2.1 billion worldwide, and Leonardo DiCaprio became a star overnight. Against expectations, the film won 11 Academy Awards, and the lead was nominated for other profile awards, including Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. Titanic is one of the most romantic movies ever and can be watched anytime.
Do you know the iceberg was not the only reason why the shipwrecked? Before leaving the dock in Belfast, the ship caught fire from the boiler room. Here’s the secret of the Titanic shipwreck that you should know.
Later, he played a self-mocking role in Woody Allen’s American comedy-drama film Celebrity. Next, he was featured in American Psycho for a salary of $200 million but left the project due to personal issues. In the mid-1990’s he featured in the short film called Don’s Plum.
In 2004, he founded the production company Appian Way Productions. His first task was as an executive producer in Niels Muller's The Assassination of Richard Nixon that starred Sean Penn. In 2006, Leonardo DiCaprio got featured in the crime film The Departed. Next year, he produced the comedy-drama Gardener of Eden.
Later, he co-wrote, produced, and created a documentary about people’s relationship with global warming and nature, the 11th Hour. Furthermore, he was executive producer for an American television series, Greensburg, which was broadcasted on the Planet Green television network. In 2008, he starred in Body of Lies based on the novel of the same name. Later, he reunited with Kate Winslet for the drama Revolutionary Road.
Multiple Collaborations with Martin Scorsese
Leonardo DiCaprio collaborated with Scorsese in a psychological thriller film Shutter Island. In 2010, he starred in Christopher Nolan’s ensemble science-fiction film Inception. The film collected over $825 million worldwide and became his second-highest-grossing film.
After playing roles in Inception, he took a break from acting. In 2014, he became an executive producer for the British documentary film Virunga. In 2015, he produced and played fur trapper Hugh Glass. The film was made with a budget of $140 million and earned over $500 million worldwide.
As an Active Philanthropist and Political Activist
In 1998, Leonardo DiCaprio and his mother donated $35000 for a computer center at the Los Feliz based library. The site was rebuilt after the 1994 Northridge earthquake. In 2010, he donated over $1million for relief efforts in Haiti.
The next year, Leonardo donated over $61000 to the gay rights group GLAAD. After Hurricane Harvey in 2017, he donated $1million to the United Way Harvey Recovery Fund through his foundation.
Leo’s Personal Life
Over the years, Leonardo DiCaprio’s life has gained media attention for several reasons. He doesn’t speak about his personal life, but it has been the subject of widespread attention for the involvement of women for the past two decades. In 1999, he dated model Gisele Bundchen. Unfortunately, they broke up in 2005. Next, he was romantically involved with Bar Refaeli, television host, and actress until 2011.
In 2005, he got injured when Aretha Wilson hit him with a beer bottle at one Hollywood party. The model was sentenced to prison for two years. Later, he dated the German model until 2014 and later in 2017. Currently, he is in a relationship with Camila Morrone. The two have a huge age gap of 23 years; still, they are going strong and are madly in love.
Awards, Assets, and Achievements
Leonardo DiCaprio’s successful films include Romeo + Juliet, Titanic, Gangs of New York, The Departed, and more. His films have grossed billions worldwide. He won the 66th Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor and got nominated for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.
Next, he received the 77th Academy Awards for Best Actor and was nominated for The Aviator. He has won three Golden Globe Awards, Best Actor Motion Picture Drama for the Aviator, BAFTA Award for Best Actor in Leading Role for the Revenant, and the Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for the Wolf of Wall Street.
He owns a lavish home in Los Angeles and a royal apartment in Battery Park City. He also owns an island Blackadore Caye (a small island in Belize), where he has set an environment- friendly resort. Leonardo DiCaprio is the owner of the veteran actress Dinah Shore residence designed by Donald Wexler in California.
Leonardo owns a Malibu property located on Carbon Beach, Malibu. The house is spread over 2633 sq ft and consists of a gym, seven bedrooms, and six bathrooms. Furthermore, he also owns two adjacent houses in the Hollywood Hills. He purchased this lavish villa in 1999.
Leonardo DiCaprio is the proud owner of cars, like Audi, Ferrari, Mercedes, and Lamborghini. He has also invested in real estate and earns nearly $25-35 million from each movie.
Lesser Known Facts About Leonardo DiCaprio
1. He was once interviewed by Time Magazine, and the reporter called him boring. The man said what makes him interesting is he can name the 20 endangered species without a break.
2. He has never done drugs. He admitted that he has been around drugs for a long time but never got involved with drugs. He watched the Youtube videos of The Drunkest Man in the World to get ready for the drugs scene.
3. He is an extremely talented actor but can’t sing. Once, he decided to participate in a singing show but thought his ridiculous voice wasn’t acceptable.
4. After his movie Titanic was released, every guy on the next street wanted to take the same haircut. His hairstyle became popular in different countries. However, Afghanistan banned the movie and did not want to be associated with western culture.
5. While he was filming Blood Diamond, he visited nearby orphanages. He fell in love with a little girl and sends her anything she wanted to make her happy.
Final Words
Leonardo DiCaprio has done several films. Still, he is recognized best for playing Jack in the movie Titanic. He is also the highest-paid actor in the film industry and has millions of fans around the world.
Leo is not only a successful actor but also a film producer. Do you know other facts about Leonardo DiCaprio? If yes, then share with us.
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