Leonardo DiCaprio's Main TV Roles Show Character(s) Growing Pains Luke Brower Celebrities Uncensored Leonardo Di… 100 Greatest Teen Stars Leonardo Di… Parenthood Garry Buckman

Main Movie Roles 2010 - Inception 2010 - Shutter Island 2010 - IMAX: Hubble 3D 2008 - Body of Lies 2008 - Revolutionary Road 2007 - The 11th Hour 2007 - Everything's Cool 2006 - The Departed 2006 - Blood Diamond 2004 - The Aviator 2002 - Gangs of New York 2002 - Catch Me If You Can 2000 - The Beach 1998 - Celebrity 1997 - Titanic 1996 - Romeo + Juliet 1996 - Marvin's Room 1995 - The Basketball Diaries 1995 - The Quick and the Dead 1995 - Total Eclipse 1993 - This Boy's Life 1993 - What's Eating Gilbert Grape 1992 - Poison Ivy

BIOGRAPHY:

His name allegedly derives from his German mother Irmalin's having experienced a sudden kick from her unborn boy while enjoying a DaVinci painting at the Uffizi. In the year following his birth, she and his Italian father, George, were divorced. He grew up in Echo Park, then a particularly seedy, drug-dominated area of Los Angeles. At five he appeared on his favorite TV show "Romper Room" (1953) and was nearly thrown off for misbehaving. After a string of commercials, educational films ("Mickey's Safety Club"), occasional parts in TV series, a debut film role as Josh in Critters 3 (1991), a continuing role as the homeless boy Luke in the TV series "Growing Pains" (1985), he got his break-through part as Toby in This Boy's Life (1993), co-starring with Robert De Niro and Ellen Barkin.

The part led the New York Film Critics and the National Society of Film Critics to name him runner-up for Best Supporting Actor. His first Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations came for the difficult role of Arnie in What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993). Equally challenging parts were a drug-troubled Jim Carroll in The Basketball Diaries (1995), the tormented homosexual poet Rimbaud in Total Eclipse (1995), and the angry teenage son of a harried mother in Marvin's Room (1996). He made a major impact with his starring role in a very updated Romeo + Juliet (1996). Superstardom came to DiCaprio playing Jack Dawson in Titanic (1997), highest grossing film ever, tied with Ben-Hur (1959) for most Academy Awards, though Leo himself was not nominated. His performance in the remake of The Man in the Iron Mask (1998/I) was poorly received, but the film still turned a profit. His next major film, The Beach (2000/I), was not a success, but he made another comeback in Catch Me If You Can (2002) and remains an A-list star.


TRIVIA:

• In May 2009, DiCaprio, along with 'Kate Winslet' (qv) and director 'James Cameron (I)' (qv), publicly pledged to support the financial future of the last living Titanic survivor, Millvina Dean, after it was reported that she had been forced to sell her mementos to pay for nursing home bills.
• In 1994, he became the seventh youngest actor ever to be nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actor at the age of 19 years. He was nominated for his performance in _What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)_ (qv).
• Campaigned for the role of 'John Dillinger (I)' (qv) in _Public Enemies (2009)_ (qv), but 'Johnny Depp' (qv) was cast in the part instead.
• Named #36 on Empire Magazine's 100 Sexiest Movie Stars. (2007).
• He and 'Jason Robards' (qv) received Oscar-nominations for portraying 'Howard Hughes (I)' (qv). Robards played Hughes in _Melvin and Howard (1980)_ (qv) and Leonardo played him in _The Aviator (2004)_ (qv)
• Screen tested for the part of Robin in _Batman Forever (1995)_ (qv).
• Filed police charges after being attacked with a bottle by an animal-rights activist while leaving a nightclub in June 2005. Although the wound was very close to his jugular vein, it was not expected to delay production on his latest movie.
• Openly supported 'John Kerry (I)' (qv) in the 2004 election. He went around 11 states and gave 20 speeches about the environment and how the Bush Administration has damaged it.