| Net Worth: | $260 million (2020) |
| Profession: | Professional Actor, Producer, Environmentalist |
| Country of Origin: | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Age: | 11 November 1974 (age 45 years) |
| Real Name: | Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio |
| Parents: | George DiCaprio, Irmelin Indenbirken |
| Siblings: | Adam Farrar (step brother) |
| Horoscope: | Virgo |
| Height: | 1.83 m |
| Last Updated: | January 2021 |
Leonardo Di Caprio – The Indie Actor
CHILDHOOD
Not many know, that Leonardo Di Caprio is part-Russian from his maternal side. To be more precise, two of his late grandparents were Russians. It was the 11th of November in the year 1974, that the young couple Irmelin and George De Caprio were blessed with a baby boy. The young pregnant Irmelin decided on the name Leonardo for her still an unborn child, as he kicked when she was viewing the artwork of the legendary painter Leonardo Da Vinci at the Uffizi museum in Florence, Italy. Also, Leonardo’s father is part-Italian and the actor is well-versed in the language.
The young Leonardo was only a year old when his parents decided to part ways. DiCaprio’s parents met while attending college and moved to Los Angeles after graduating. However, the young parents began their separate lives by living as neighbors, so that it would not affect their son. However, this attempt was a failure as Leonardo had to move about the city with his mother due to her countless jobs.
When DiCaprio was a kid of five years old, he was kicked off the set of ‘Romper Room,’ a children’s show aimed at very young children that began in 1953 and lasted until 1994. While describing the situation in an interview, he said,
My mom got me on Romper Room when I was five — it was my favorite show. But they couldn’t control me. I would run up and smack the camera, and I’d jump around and do my little flips and routines. I wish I could get that tape now.
At a young age, Leonardo was inspired to be either a marine biologist or an actor. He eventually favored the latter, as he was fond of impersonating characters and imitating people. It was at a performance festival that he first came in close acquaintance with the art of acting. The response from the audience inspired and excited him, thus offering him a future prospect. However, it was a couple of years later, when his elder stepbrother bought money home after starring in a commercial that Leonardo Di Caprio decided to become an actor.
He first officially faced the cameras at the age of five, when he was cast for the television series ‘Romper Room’. This, however, was a short-lived stint and he was soon removed from the sets for being a ‘trouble maker’. But his acting career was never hindered, as he was blessed with the typical ‘blue-eyed blonde hair’ look that got him various roles in the commercials.
EDUCATION
Bit by the acting bug quite early in life, Leonardo Di Caprio hardly found academics appealing. However, he first started his education at the ‘Seeds Elementary School’. This was later followed by attending the ‘Los Angeles Centre for Enriched Studies’ for four years. He finally attended high school at ‘John Marshall High School’ which was located nearby. DiCaprio had commented that he disliked public school and often asked his mother to take him to auditions instead to improve their financial situation. After three years of high school, Leonardo Di Caprio finally gave-up on studies and was given the General Equivalency Diploma. He, later on, he devoted his time and energy to pursuing a successful career in the film industry and worked hard in that direction.
CAREER
Leonardo Di Caprio neither had an agent to start with nor was his start an easy one. He ventured from one audition to the other but was brutally rejected every time, due to which he remained jobless for a year and a half. It was also suggested to change his name to ‘Lenny Williams’ to be more appealing to the American audience, to which he refused. There were times when he decided to quit acting, but it was his father who encouraged him to pursue his dreams.
By the early 90’s he began acting regularly on television, starting with a role in the pilot of ‘The Outsiders’ and one episode of the soap opera ‘Santa Barbara’, in which he played the young Mason Capwell. His work that year earned him two nominations at the 12th Youth in Film Awards – Best Young Actor in a Daytime Series for Santa Barbara and Best Young Actor Starring in a New Television Series for Parenthood.
Leonardo Di Caprio was yet to achieve the recognition and was seen for the first time in a movie named ‘Critters 3’. This was a low budget horror genre and went unnoticed. He went on to become a recurring cast member in the sitcom ‘Growing Pains’ which also earned him a nomination for the Young Artist Award for the Best Young Actor Co-starring in a television series. He did find an important role in the ‘Poison Ivy Film Series’ and was later cast in the film ‘This Boy’s life’.
He acquired the much-needed critical success with his role as the mentally handicapped brother of Johnny Depp’s character in the film ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape’. This got Leonardo Di Caprio his first-ever win of the National Board of Review Award for the Best Supporting Actor. This recognition led him to be noticed by the Hollywood big-wigs and the introduction of a new face in the industry. This was followed by a few films that did not fare well but Di Caprio’s performance was well appreciated. It was in the year 1996, where the film, ‘Romeo + Juliet’ was released and the young star won the Silver Bear for the Best Actor.
Titanic happened in the year 1997, opposite Kate Winslet and it was a prominent triumph. This propelled Leonardo Di Caprio into being the ‘heartthrob’ for the teens and was the unquestioned celeb. The film was the highest-grossing film to that point, eventually grossing more than $2.1 billion in box-office receipts worldwide and also won 11 Oscar Awards-the most for any film- including The Best Picture. The film also led to the “Leo-Mania” across the world and the stardom that Leonardo Di Caprio was rivaled to was only to the Beatles.
It took him another decade to cast opposite Kate Winslet once again in the 2009 romantic drama ‘The Revolutionary Road’. This was a much-anticipated film as it starred the American sweethearts once again on the silver screen. By this time, both the actors had gained expertise in their profession with some of the best performances to their credits. The film was well-received and the performances of the two stars were much acclaimed. Also, another performance of the actor which cemented his foothold in the brutal industry was ‘The Aviator’. The role was a challenge as the actor was expected to play a man who had various shades to his personality. However, the film went on to be a success and he received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor and his first Academy Award for Best Actor nomination.
INVESTMENTS
Leonardo Di Caprio’s net worth is roughly $260 Million
- Kingo (2018) – An Off-Grid Solar Power Company
- Diamond Foundry (2015)- aided in raising $100 Million
- Casper – 2017- US Online Mattress Company – worth $ 500 Million
- Mind Maze- 2017- VR Technology
- Runa- Organic Beverage
- Cue- 2014- Healthcare- $ 7.5 Million
- Mobile- 2011- mobile photo and video sharing website- $ 4 Million
- Appian Way Productions- Film production company
HIGHEST GROSSER IN FILMS:
- BLOOD DAIMOND – $67,839,400
- ROMEO JULIET – $82,656,900
- THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK – $82,656,900
- GANGS OF NEW YORK – $103,142,000
- SHUTTER ISLAND – $127,529,900
- THE AVAITOR – $127,529,900
- THE DEPARTED – $127,529,900
- CATCH ME IF YOU CAN – $217,135,900
- INCEPTION – $291,472,100
- TITANIC – $1,074,383,500
AWARDS AND NOMINATION
- AACTA AWARDS- 2
- Academy Awards- 1
- Alliance of Women Film Journalism- 1
- Austin Film Critics Association- 1
- Australian Film Critics Associations- 1 nomination
- Berlin International Film Festival – 1
- Blockbuster Entertainment Awards – 2
- Boston Society of Films Critics – 2 runners up and 1
- British Academy Film Awards – 1
- Chicago Film Critics Association Awards – 2
- Critic’s Choice Movie Awards – 2
- Dallas- Fort Worth Film Critics Association – 1
- Detroit Film Critics Society – 1 nomination
- Dorian Awards – 1
- Dublin Film Critics’ Circle – 1
- Golden Globe Awards – 3
- Hollywood Film Awards – 1
- Irish Film &Television Academy – 2
- Teen Choice Awards – 3
- Los Angeles Film Critics Association – 1
- Screen Actors Guild Awards – 1
- Prime Time Emmy Awards- 1 nomination
- People’s Choice Awards – 1
- National Society of Films Critics – 1
- Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards – 1
These are just a few prominent wins from a long list of some of the most acclaimed awards. Leonardo Di Caprio has a sum of:
- Total Wins: 54
- Runner up: 4
- Nominations: 168
It took a while for the child actor to finally grow into a dedicated artist. With his cute lover-boy look, it was difficult to take Di Caprio earnestly. However, that soon changed. Leonardo Di Caprio went on to star in some of the most intense films which include the ‘Shutter Island’, ‘Inception’, ‘Blood Diamond’ to name a few. Despite his cute looks, the star had been able to succeed in being able to build an image of an actor who is serious about his craft.
His dedication can be easily evident in his Academy Award win ‘The Revenant’. This was one of his most ‘invested-in’ roles, where the actor opted to shoot without the need of a body double. In order to get the best out of himself, Leonardo Di Caprio ate a raw slab of a bison’s liver, slept in animal carcasses and also suffered hypothermia. The hard work and dedication surely paid off and it won him the much-deserved Academy Awards for the best actor in the year 2016. His most notable performances are:
- Romeo + Juliet (1996)
- Titanic (1997)
- The Beach (2000)
- Shutter Island (2010)
- Inception (2010)
- Django Unchained (2012)
- The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
- The Great Gatsby (2013)
- The Revenant (2015)
- Once Upon A Time in Hollywood (2019)
