Hollywood was searching for its next golden boy in the early 1990s—someone who could win over young people and sell tickets. Leonardo DiCaprio, though, has no desire to be just another hot star. He sought grandeur, something more profound, as soon as he stepped in front of a camera.
Born on November 11, 1974, in Los Angeles, Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio was raised apart from the glamour and flash of Hollywood. He was raised by his mother in a rough neighborhood that was filled with poverty and crime after his parents divorced when he was just a year old. He had a childhood fascination with nature and wanted to work as a marine scientist. But he was also becoming in love with acting.
By the time he was 14, DiCaprio was working hard for TV commercials, trying to break into a field that didn’t seem to want him. He was often informed that he wasn’t fit for a leading role, that his name was too ethnic, and that his appearance was wrong. But he was not going to change. He landed a part in Growing Pains (1991) as a homeless youngster, which was his big break. Even at that time, he wanted to live the role rather than just portray it.
Hollywood caught notice when he costarred with Robert De Niro in This Boy’s Life (1993). Then followed What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), in which he was nominated for an Oscar at the age of 19 for his heartbreaking portrayal of a child with a mental disability.
However, in 1997, everything was different.
James Cameron was hesitant to cast DiCaprio as Jack Dawson in Titanic. He didn’t see himself as a cutesy face for a romantic film, but rather as a serious actor. But the movie exceeded everyone’s expectations, and he became the most well-known person in the world. His name was called out by fans. He was tormented by the photographers. He was now the king of the world, but not the one he wanted to be, like Leonardo DiCaprio.
He turned down conventional celebrity rather than making money off of his heartthrob status. In Gangs of New York (2002), The Aviator (2004), The Departed (2006), and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), he and Martin Scorsese created one of the greatest director-actor collaborations in history.
He didn’t win the Academy Award despite his talent. He was nominated year after year but failed to win. Despite his failure becoming a joke on the internet, DiCaprio stayed inspired and put more effort into each scene. It felt more like long-awaited justice than a victory when he finally won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2016 after surviving horrifying production conditions for The Revenant.
Outside of Hollywood, DiCaprio has become one of the most passionate climate activists in the world, using his platform to push for environmental change. He now symbolizes a movement rather than just being an actor.
