Leonardo DiCaprio

Early Life

Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio was born on 11 November 1974 in Los Angeles, California, the only child of Irmelin Indenbirken, a legal secretary, and George DiCaprio, an underground comics writer, publisher and distributor. He grew up in Los Angeles and began acting as a child, appearing in television commercials in the late 1980s and in television series in the early 1990s, including the sitcom Growing Pains. His first major film roles came in 1993, in This Boy's Life and What's Eating Gilbert Grape, the latter earning him his first Academy Award nomination at the age of 19.

Career

DiCaprio began his career in the late 1980s appearing in television commercials, then took television roles before his film debut. He drew critical attention as a developmentally disabled boy in What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), which brought his first Academy Award nomination, and became a global star as Jack Dawson in Titanic (1997). He went on to star in The Aviator (2004), The Departed (2006), Blood Diamond (2006), Inception (2010), Django Unchained (2012), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019). He finally won the Academy Award for Best Actor for The Revenant (2015), playing the fur trapper Hugh Glass, and later starred in Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) and One Battle After Another (2025). In 2004 he founded the production company Appian Way Productions, which has produced several of his films and environmental documentaries including The 11th Hour (2007) and Before the Flood (2016). He has used his public profile for environmental advocacy, founding the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998 and serving as a United Nations Messenger of Peace for climate change since 2014.

Achievements

DiCaprio has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor six times and won once, for The Revenant (2015). His nominations were for What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), The Aviator (2004), Blood Diamond (2006), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), The Revenant (2015) and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019); he was also nominated as a producer when The Wolf of Wall Street was nominated for Best Picture. He has won a BAFTA Award and three Golden Globe Awards, and the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the Berlin International Film Festival for Romeo + Juliet (1996). Beyond acting, he founded the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998 and was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace, with a focus on climate change, in 2014.

• Won the Academy Award for Best Actor for The Revenant (2015), after six nominations as an actor
• Won a BAFTA Award for Best Actor for The Revenant
• Won three Golden Globe Awards
• Won the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the Berlin International Film Festival for Romeo + Juliet (1996)
• Received a Best Picture nomination as a producer of The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
• Founded the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998 to support environmental causes
• Named a United Nations Messenger of Peace, with a focus on climate change, in 2014

Legacy

DiCaprio is one of the most prominent film actors of his generation, known for choosing demanding roles in biographical and period films and for long collaborations with directors such as Martin Scorsese. Titanic (1997) made him one of the most recognised actors in the world, and his later career has paired box-office success with critical recognition, culminating in the Academy Award for The Revenant. He is also one of the most visible celebrity advocates for environmental causes, having funded conservation work through his foundation since 1998 and addressed the United Nations on climate change.

Contributions

DiCaprio's contribution to film is a run of leading roles in major studio films from the 1990s to the 2020s, including Titanic, The Departed, Inception and The Revenant, and a production company, Appian Way Productions, that has backed several of his films. His contribution to environmental advocacy includes the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, founded in 1998, and his role as a United Nations Messenger of Peace for climate change.

Notable Works

• What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
• Titanic (1997)
• The Aviator (2004)
• The Departed (2006)
• Inception (2010)
• Django Unchained (2012)
• The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
• The Revenant (2015)
• Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
• Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Milestones

• 1989 — Began acting career in television commercials Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica; Wikipedia
• 1993 — Received his first Academy Award nomination for What's Eating Gilbert Grape Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
• 1997 — Became a global star as Jack Dawson in Titanic Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
• 1998 — Founded the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica; Wikipedia
• 2004 — Starred in The Aviator and founded the production company Appian Way Productions Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica; Wikipedia
• 2006 — Starred in The Departed and Blood Diamond Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
• 2010 — Starred in Inception Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
• 2013 — Starred in and produced The Wolf of Wall Street Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
• 2014 — Named a United Nations Messenger of Peace, with a focus on climate change Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica; Wikipedia
• 2016 — Won the Academy Award for Best Actor for The Revenant (2015 film) Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica; Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
• 2019 — Starred in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
• 2023 — Starred in Killers of the Flower Moon Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
• 2025 — Starred in One Battle After Another Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica

Timeline

1. 11 November 1974

   Born Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio in Los Angeles, California, United States

   Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
2. 1989

   Began acting career in television commercials

   Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica; Wikipedia
3. 1993

   Starred in This Boy's Life and What's Eating Gilbert Grape; received his first Academy Award nomination for the latter

   Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
4. 1997

   Starred as Jack Dawson in Titanic

   Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
5. 1998

   Founded the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, a non-profit devoted to environmental causes

   Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica; Wikipedia
6. 2004

   Starred in The Aviator; founded the production company Appian Way Productions

   Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica; Wikipedia
7. 2013

   Starred in and produced The Wolf of Wall Street, which was nominated for Best Picture

   Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
8. 2014

   Named a United Nations Messenger of Peace, with a focus on climate change

   Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica; Wikipedia
9. 28 February 2016

   Won the Academy Award for Best Actor for The Revenant (2015 film)

   Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica; Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
10. 2019

    Starred in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

    Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
11. 2023

    Starred in Killers of the Flower Moon

    Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica

In Their Words

“Climate change is real. It is happening right now. It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating.” Source: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — 88th Academy Awards onstage speech transcript (oscars.org) — Accepting the Academy Award for Best Actor for The Revenant at the 88th Academy Awards, 28 February 2016.

Related Personalities

• Meryl Streep Actor · b. 1949
• Shah Rukh Khan Actor · b. 1965

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources & References

1. Leonardo DiCaprio — Encyclopaedia Britannica — Encyclopaedia Britannica (accessed 12 November 2026)
2. Leonardo DiCaprio — Wikipedia (cross-check) — Wikipedia (accessed 12 November 2026)
3. 88th Oscars Onstage Speech Transcript: Actor in a Leading Role — Oscars.org — Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (accessed 12 November 2026)
4. File:Leonardo Dicaprio Cannes 2019.jpg — Wikimedia Commons (portrait file page) — Wikimedia Commons (accessed 12 November 2026)

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