Titanic, The Wolf of Wall Street, Django Unchained
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$245 Million
"I really hate relaxing. I've done three movies in a row, worked for two years straight, and to me, idle time is the devil's workshop. I like to focus on something." Leonardo DiCaprio is the biggest star in Hollywood, full stop. Originally a child actor, DiCaprio has grown into a powerhouse performer with more standout performances than the vast majority of his contemporaries. After finally breaking through for his first Oscar win in The Revenant (2015), DiCaprio has been utterly focused on earning his next one.
A superstar from a young age, DiCaprio has grown up under the spotlight. With that being said, DiCaprio has made it clear that he wants to be remembered for more than just his work on screen. DiCaprio is one of the most vocal environmentalists in the world. DiCaprio is also a devoted activist who has donated millions of dollars to causes all around the world, including support for the aftermath of the Haiti Earthquake and Hurricane Harvey.
A Star is Born
There are very few times when co-opting the name of a famous movie is reputable, but this is one of them. Leonardo DiCaprio was born on November 11, 1974, in Los Angeles. He was the only child of Irmelin and George DiCaprio. George worked as an underground artist, producer, and distributor of comic books. His mother, Irmelin, worked as a legal secretary. DiCaprio has Italian, German, and Russian roots. His parents had come together while they were attending college before moving out to Los Angeles. DiCaprio's parents divorced when he was only a year old.
When DiCaprio was a child, he and his mother lived in Los Feliz and Echo Park. His mother worked numerous jobs just to make ends meet while DiCaprio went to school at Seeds Elementary and, eventually, John Marshall High School. DiCaprio would go on to study at the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies. He would drop out of high school before earning his GED. He would then spend some of his time in Germany where he lived with his grandparents. DiCaprio can speak both Italian and German with relative fluidity.
Child Star to Hollywood Mega Star
Leonardo DiCaprio got his first job on set when he was five years old in the show Romper Room and Friends (1979). Funnily enough, DiCaprio would get kicked off of the production for being a disruptive kid. After that, he would begin booking commercials and educational projects in order to make extra cash. By 14-years-old, DiCaprio had scored advertising roles in Mattel, Kraft Foods, Bubble Yum, and Apple Jacks products.
While DiCaprio scored several early roles, his first notable performance would be in the 1993 film, What's Eating Gilbert Grape? In the film, DiCaprio played Arnie Grape, a young boy with mental deficiencies. The movie co-starred Johnny Depp in one of his most highly revered roles. The film would land DiCaprio an Academy Award nod for Best Supporting actor, thus launching his name directly into the spotlight.
After finding immense success with What's Eating Gilbert Grape? DiCaprio would land a string of lead roles in films like The Basketball Diaries (1995), The Quick and the Dead (1995), and Romeo + Juliet. Romeo + Juliet would garner DiCaprio more critical praise for his portrayal of Romeo in Baz Luhrmann's modern yet artistic interpretation of Shakespeare's classic love story. By this point in time, DiCaprio was on the cusp of absolute stardom, but he wouldn't fully immerse himself in that title for another year.
In 1997, the movie industry would change forever, and DiCaprio along with it. 1997 saw James Cameron's Titanic release to stunned audiences around the world. The film followed a love story between characters played by DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, set against the tragedy of the actual sinking of the Titanic. The visual spectacle that Cameron captured would help to turn Titanic into one of the highest-grossing movies of all time. The film would land 14 Academy Award nominations, taking home 11 of them. In an instant, DiCaprio was no longer a star. He was one of the most successful actors in all of Hollywood.
Following Titanic, DiCaprio starred in a couple of mediocre films which included The Man in the Iron Mask (1998) and The Beach (2000). Both films featured DiCaprio giving strong performances, yet they underperformed at the box office. Thankfully, DiCaprio has made a career out of never having real slumps. Following those two flops, DiCaprio would cement himself as the leading man in Hollywood. DiCaprio would star in Gangs of New York (2002) and Catch Me If You Can (2002). The latter film was a Steven Spielberg picture that also starred Tom Hanks while the former was a collaboration with Martin Scorsese and Daniel Day-Lewis. DiCaprio was truly rubbing elbows with industry legends.
DiCaprio would team up with Scorsese again in 2004 for the release of the Howard Hughes biopic, The Aviator. DiCaprio would land another Academy Ward nomination. Following The Aviator, DiCaprio would steal the show in Blood Diamond as a South African smuggler traversing Sierra Leone in pursuit of a massive diamond. The film would serve to highlight the horrors of diamond mining. Following Blood Diamond, DiCaprio would star in The Departed (2006), Body of Lies (2008), Revolutionary Road (2008), and the hit thriller, Shutter Island (2010).
In 2010, DiCaprio would star in the Chris Nolan blockbuster, Inception. The film would become a pop-culture milestone as the twisty film served to introduce one of the most riveting endings in Hollywood history. DiCaprio would continue his hot streak of A-List hits with starring roles in J. Edgar (2011), Django Unchained (2012), and The Great Gatsby (2013). In Django Unchained, DiCaprio would work with Quentin Tarantino for the first time. The two have since reconnected for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019).
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) was released to critical acclaim and it would mark another collaboration between Scorsese and DiCaprio. DiCaprio earned another Academy Award nod for his work. DiCaprio would then breakthrough with his first actual Oscar win, this time in the wild film, The Revenant (2015). The Revenant was based on the true story of Hugh Glass and it also starred Tom Hardy. DiCaprio currently has several major films in production including Roosevelt, The Devil in the White City, The Black Hand, and Killers of the Flower Moon.
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