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Courting the art-house crowd, DiCaprio portrayed the young French poet and arrogant, self-styled "genius" Arthur Rimbaud in Agnieszka Holland's problematic film version of Christopher Hampton's play "Total Eclipse" (1995). This psychological drama traced the complex and exceedingly unpleasant sexual relationship between the youthful Rimbaud and his older mentor, Paul Verlaine (David Thewlis), while failing to deal with their art. A critical and commercial flop, the film marked DiCaprio's first unqualified disaster since achieving celebrity. He seemed poised to bounce back as half of everybody's favorite pair of doomed lovebirds in the eagerly awaited "William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet" (1996). Paired with rising star Claire Danes, DiCaprio strove to create a "more hard-core" Romeo for this bizarrely stylized and anachronistic take on the classic helmed by Australian director Baz Luhrmann ("Strictly Ballroom"). Later that year, he was featured as Meryl Streep's troubled teenaged son in "Marvin's Room.”

DiCaprio next landed the lead role in director James Cameron's lavish spectacle "Titanic," playing Jack Dawson, a plucky, impoverished American artist who wins a third-class ticket on the historically doomed luxury liner and enters into a star-crossed love affair with a young Philadelphia socialite (Kate Winslet). The film went on to become both a blockbuster and a bona fide phenomenon, becoming the all-time highest grossing film in history. Although some bemoaned the fact the he did not receive an Oscar nomination, DiCaprio clearly reigned supreme as the hottest male box office attraction of the moment; indeed, much of the repeat business was credited to a legion of young female fans who became enthralled with the actor. After the one-two punch of "Romeo" and "Titanic," his heartthrob status was secured and, despite reigning back on the amount of screen roles he accepted, he became an object of media fascination for several years to come.

DiCaprio continued in period fare with the dual role of French King Louis XIV and his doppelganger in the 1998 remake of “The Man in the Iron Mask," delivering another dashing performance but failing to ignite "Titanic"-sized box office return. In 2000 he teamed with hard-edged director Danny Boyle for "The Beach" (touted as a "comeback" vehicle for the actor), an uneven vehicle in which he plays an American searching for lost treasure on a secluded Asian island. DiCaprio's performance was better than the story deserved, and again it failed to spark with all but his most die-hard fans. Things were looking up in 2001 when the actor was cast in director Martin Scorsese's 19th Century drama "Gangs of New York," playing Irish-American immigrant Amsterdam Vallon, released from prison and intent on taking on the gangs that killed his father. Production issues and reported squabbles between Scorsese and the studio delayed the film by nearly a year to the 2002 holiday season. DiCaprio found himself going up against...himself in director Steven Spielberg's "Catch Me If You Can," in which he played real-life con artist Frank W. Abagnale, who successfully pulled off dozens of scams in various identities and became the youngest man on the FBI's most wanted list. Perfectly cast, DiCaprio delivered his most charming and mature performance to date, proving himself again as both movie star and actor.

DiCaprio reunited with Scorsese on "The Aviator" (2004), a project the actor initially planned to do with director Michael Mann focusing on the prime years of the famed billionaire Howard Hughes. Although many felt DiCaprio's boyish looks were not ideally suited for the role, the actor delivered one of his strongest performances yet, convincingly portraying Hughes' multifaceted qualities: as a young mogul-in-the-making taking Hollywood by storm; as one of Tinseltown's most notorious ladies' men; as a pioneer of aviation and an enterprising maverick who took on the U.S. government; and most compellingly as man whose potential is crippled by obsessive-compulsive disorder. As the centerpiece of Scorsese's strongest, boldest work in nearly a decade, DiCaprio again delivered on his own early promise, smoothly maturing into more adult and more challenging roles, and he was rewarded with a Golden Globe award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama. His bravura performance also earned DiCaprio his second career Academy Award nomination—and first in the Best Actor category.

After the success of "The Aviator" the actor immediately reunited with Scorsese to join an all-star cast that including Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg and Jack Nicholson for "The Departed" (2006), playing a Boston cop assigned to work undercover inside a notorious Irish-American gang who rises up the ranks to a senior level, even as a member of the gang infiltrates the police force—a story loosely based on the excellent Hong Kong action thriller “Infernal Affairs” (2002). As “The Departed” earned mostly good reviews prior to its early October debut, DiCaprio awaited the release of his next film, “Blood Diamond” (2006), a sweeping tale directed by Edward Zwick about a South African diamond smuggler (DiCaprio) and a poor fisherman (Djimon Hounsou) who join forces in order to find a rare pink diamond that can transform both their lives. DiCaprio earned Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture for both “The Departed” and “Blood Diamond.” Also for the latter, he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, surprising many that he did not get a nod for "The Departed." Then in a change of pace, DiCaprio signed on to narrate “11th Hour” (2006), a documentary that examined global warming and possible solutions to restore the planet’s decaying ecosystems.

Also Credited As:
Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio
Born:
on 11/11/1974 in Los Angeles, California
Job Titles:
Actor
Family
Father: George DiCaprio. former comic-book distributor; divorced from DiCaprio's mother
Grandmother: Helena Idenbirken.
Mother: Irmelin DiCaprio. divorced from DiCaprio's father; born in Germany
Step-brother: Adam Farrar. born c. 1971; featured in the film "Pups" (1999); arrested in March 2000 for allegedly attempting to murder his girlfriend
Step-mother: Peggy DiCaprio. was previously married and has son Adam from that marriage
Significant Others
Companion: Bar Refaeli. Israeli; dating since January 2006
Companion: Gisele Bundchen. Brazilian ; dating as of spring 2000; she reportedly told a Brazilian magazine in February 2001 that she and DiCaprio are engaged; reportedly split c. fall 2002
Companion: Kristen Zang. dated c. 1996-97; reportedly reconciled briefly in 1998; no longer together; reportedly dating again in late 1998; no longer together
Companion: Vanessa Hayden. dated briefly in 1998
Education
Center for Enriched Studies, Los Angeles, California
John Marshall High School, Los Angeles, California
Milestones
1981 Went on first commercial audition at age six
1988 Signed by an agent at the age of 14 (date approximate)
1990 Cast as a regular in the TV version of "Parenthood"
1990 First primetime guest shot, "The Outsiders"
1991 Joined the cast of the long-running sitcom "Growing Pains", as Luke, a homeless boy
1991 Made feature debut in "Critters III"
1993 Earned Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination playing a mentally challenged youth in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape"
1993 First lead in a major film, "This Boy's Life" with Robert De Niro and Ellen Barkin
1996 Starred opposite Claire Danes in Buz Luhrmann's modern-day production of "William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet"
1997 Starred in James Cameron's Oscar-winning blockbuster "Titanic"
1998 Played dual role in "The Man in the Iron Mask"
2000 Headlined the feature adaptation of the novel "The Beach", directed by Danny Boyle
2002 Starred as the youngest man ever to make the FBI's ten most wanted list in "Catch Me If You Can"; supposed to shoot in early 2001 but postponed because of scheduling conflicts; filmed in 2002 under the direction of Steven Spielberg; received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor (Drama)
2002 Teamed with Martin Scorsese for the period drama "Gangs of New York"
2004 Portrayed legendary mogul Howard Hughes in the "Aviator," directed by Martin Scorsese; also served as executive producer; received SAG nominations for Best Actor and Best Ensemble Cast; earned Oscar nominations for Best Actor and Best Picture
2006 Cast in Edward Zwick's "Blood Diamond," as a South African mercenary; received one of two Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor in a Drama; also received SAG and Oscar nominations for Best Actor
2006 Played an undercover cop posing as a gangster in Martin Scorsese's Mob drama "The Departed"; received one of two Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor in a Drama; earned a SAG nomination for Best Supporting Actor
Grew up in the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles
Made TV acting debut on the syndicated Saturday morning revival of "Lassie"
Played teenaged alcoholic on NBC daytime soap, "Santa Barbara"
Was urged by an agent at age nine to change name to Lenny Williams (date approximate)
Will produce the independent film "The Gardener of Eden," with Lukas Haas, Erika Christensen and Giovanni Ribisi
Worked in commercials and educational films including "Mickey's Safety Club" and "How to Deal With a Parent Who Takes Drugs"