ACTOR · BORN 1974
Leonardo DiCaprio
- Born
- 11 November 1974, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Known for
- Titanic (1997), The Revenant (2015), Inception (2010), Django Unchained (2012)
76 archived facts 6 topics 2 sources Last reviewed Nov 2026
Leonardo DiCaprio (born 11 November 1974) is an actor best known for Titanic, The Revenant and Inception.
Leonardo DiCaprio over the years
76 Interesting Facts About Leonardo DiCaprio
Interesting Facts (8)
- #001
On February 16, 2016, British multimedia group The Line Animation released an 8-bit web game, "Leo's Red Carpet Rampage," in which a tiny animated Leonardo DiCaprio battles endlessly toward his Oscar at the end of the red carpet, facing obstacles from his career: paparazzi, the iceberg that sinks Titanic (1997), the Quaalude overdose from The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), the bear from The Revenant (2015), his Best Actor rivals, writing an acceptance speech, finding the black nominee and so on. Two hours after launch it was being played 6,000 times a minute and quickly spread worldwide, inexplicably finding its biggest audience in Russia.
Leonardo DiCaprio: a sceneImage: Wikimedia Commons · Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0 - #002
In January 1999, his lawyers filed an application to allow DiCaprio to copyright his own name.
- #003
Thanked by Blink-182 in the liner notes of their album "Enema of the State".
- #004
When his camera went missing, he offered a substantial reward of many thousands of pounds for its return.
- #005
One of his first TV appearances was "Romper Room". He got himself ejected from the set for being disruptive.
- #006
DiCaprio learned gun handling from famed Hollywood firearms coach Thell Reed, who has also trained Brad Pitt, Val Kilmer, Edward Norton, Russell Crowe, Ben Foster and Girard Swan, adding realism to his action roles.
- #007
On 16 April 1999, while shooting The Beach (2000) off the coast of Thailand, Leonardo and crew members were thrown from a camera boat into the sea by strong winds and waves; luckily, no one was hurt.
- #008
On January 5, 2005, the same day Martin Scorsese received France's Legion of Honour, DiCaprio was made a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, with French Culture Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres calling him 'an icon, a little Hollywood prince, a bad boy from Los Angeles, a modern romantic hero, the Peter Pan of American cinema.'
Production Story (11)
- #009
He was originally set to star as Alan Jensen in Harvard Man (2001), but the low budget couldn't cover his fee, so he dropped out and Adrian Grenier took the lead.
- #010
He turned down Michael Pitt's role in The Dreamers (2003), feeling he was too old to play a twenty-year-old student.
- #011
He landed Arthur Rimbaud in Total Eclipse (1995) after River Phoenix died in 1993.
- #012
Quentin Tarantino considered casting Leo as SS Colonel Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds (2009) but went with Christoph Waltz.
- #013
Sharon Stone was set on DiCaprio for The Quick and the Dead (1995), and when the studio objected, she paid his $1 million fee herself, a third of her own salary.
- #014
He turned down Max in Disney's Hocus Pocus (1993) to star in the indie film What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993).
- #015
He optioned Pulitzer winner A. Scott Berg's 2013 biography of President Woodrow Wilson and hopes to play the 28th president himself; an earlier Wilson biopic, made in 1944, flopped with audiences despite 10 Oscar nominations and being the most expensive film ever made at that point.
- #016
He considered starring in a film about James Dean but passed, feeling he wasn't experienced enough.
- #017
Campaigned for the role of John Dillinger in Public Enemies (2009), but Johnny Depp was cast in the role instead.
- #018
Was cast in the title role for Baz Luhrmann's doomed "Alexander the Great" project.
- #019
Leonardo DiCaprio was wary of yet another Romeo and Juliet but took a closer look at Baz Luhrmann's take at his father's suggestion, and the two spent two weeks in a workshop trading ideas, which led to their collaboration.
Behind the Scenes (16)
- #020
(April 16, 1999) While shooting The Beach (2000) off the coast of Thailand, Leonardo and others were swept off a camera boat by strong winds and waves; no one was hurt.
- #021
In a December 23, 2004 interview with Katie Couric, he said making The Aviator (2004) brought back the obsessive-compulsive disorder he'd had as a child.
- #022
Co-star Joanna Kerns remembered Leonardo DiCaprio on the set of Growing Pains as "especially intelligent and disarming for his age," but also a mischievous joker who loved teasing his fellow cast members.
- #023
Director Michael Caton-Jones said Leonardo DiCaprio didn't know how to behave on set, so he took a strict, mentoring approach, after which DiCaprio's behavior began to improve.
- #024
To make his performance authentic, Leonardo DiCaprio studied children with similar disabilities and their mannerisms, and Lasse Hallström let him build the character from his own research.
- #025
After filming on Revolutionary Road (2008) was completed, DiCaprio gave his co-star Kate Winslet a gold ring engraved with a personal message. Winslet has kept the inscription on the ring secret to this day, preserving the detail as a private matter known only to herself and DiCaprio. The gesture was interpreted as a sign of the close friendship and professional collaboration the two have maintained since Titanic.
- #026
DiCaprio was the first choice for the role of Patrick Bateman in American Psycho (2000) and was reportedly offered more than $20 million. However, he had to leave the project due to a scheduling conflict, and the role went to Christian Bale, who would make a major leap in his career with it. Although the development is remembered as one of the big opportunities DiCaprio missed, it showed how right his later choices were.
- #027
Quentin Tarantino considered DiCaprio for the role of SS Colonel Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds (2009), but ultimately gave the part to Christoph Waltz. Waltz's widespread acclaim and Oscar win for the role proved how sound Tarantino's decision was. DiCaprio went on to work with Tarantino on Django Unchained (2012), continuing the collaboration on different projects.
- #028
In a 2006 interview with The Independent, DiCaprio listed his ten favorite films: Bicycle Thieves (1948), Taxi Driver (1976), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), 8½ (1963), The Third Man (1949), Yojimbo (1961), Sunset Boulevard (1950), The Shining (1980) and East of Eden (1955). The list shows that his taste in cinema draws on classics and auteur filmmaking. Italian Neorealism and 1970s American cinema in particular deeply influenced his understanding of acting.
- #029
DiCaprio has said that his two favorite performances are Robert De Niro's Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver (1976) and James Dean's Cal Trask in East of Eden (1955). De Niro's method acting and Dean's natural talent have been elements DiCaprio has drawn on in shaping his own performances.
- #030
DiCaprio has said that his favorite actress of all time is Meryl Streep. Streep's versatility and mastery of acting won DiCaprio's admiration. This statement shows the respect he holds for the greatest names in cinema history and the influence they have had on his own understanding of acting.
- #031
In 2012, DiCaprio took part in the book 'The Golden Hat: Talking Back To Autism,' which Kate Winslet prepared to raise autism awareness. The book featured self-portraits taken by celebrities themselves and their thoughts on autism. DiCaprio's contribution showed his sensitivity to autism and his sense of social responsibility.
- #032
The Flemish girl group K3 released a song about DiCaprio titled 'Ik ben verliefd op Leonardo DiCaprio' (I'm in love with Leonardo DiCaprio). The song was included on the group's 1999 album and was an indication of DiCaprio's worldwide popularity. The song drew great interest, especially in Belgium and the Netherlands, and reinforced DiCaprio's position as a cultural icon.
- #033
On 23 July 2014, he hosted the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation's first major fundraising gala in Saint-Tropez, France. More than 500 guests attended the evening, including Marion Cotillard, Jared Leto and Bono. The event raised exactly 25 million dollars to protect animal and plant species facing the threat of extinction. This donation was recorded as one of the foundation's largest contributions to its environmental protection work.
- #034
DiCaprio and Jason Robards earned Oscar nominations for their performances as Howard Hughes. Robards played Hughes in Melvin and Howard (1980), while DiCaprio took on the role in The Aviator (2004). The two actors' different interpretations of the same historical figure, from two different generations, create an interesting point of comparison in cinema history.
- #035
DiCaprio appeared in three films featuring the now-defunct Pan American World Airways (Pan Am): Catch Me If You Can (2002), The Aviator (2004) and Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood (2019). While telling stories from different periods, these films allowed Pan Am to be used as a nostalgic symbol.
Characters & Cast (5)
- #036
He appeared on the TV series Parenthood (1990) in the role Joaquin Phoenix played in the original film, where Phoenix's grandfather is played by Jason Robards, who, like DiCaprio, has played Howard Hughes.
- #037
Playing Arnie in What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), he once said, was "the most fun I've ever had."
- #038
Leonardo DiCaprio was cast as troubled teen Garry Buckman in Parenthood, a series based on the 1989 comedy film, and prepared by studying Joaquin Phoenix's performance in the original.
- #039
DiCaprio was considered for Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Spider-Man (2002), but the part went to his childhood friend Tobey Maguire, with no harm to their friendship, while DiCaprio continued to steer clear of superheroes in favor of character-driven drama.
- #040
He auditioned for Hobie Buchannon on Baywatch and was turned down, a rejection DiCaprio later called a stroke of luck that steered him toward more serious film work.
Career & Awards (19)
- #041
In early 2014, CNN ran a segment from the factory that makes the Oscar statuettes and nameplates, and when presenter Ted Rowlands held up Leonardo DiCaprio's nameplate, people assumed CNN had spoiled the big surprise, even though voting hadn't happened yet; the award went to Matthew McConaughey.
- #042
He was made a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in France on the same day Martin Scorsese received the Legion of Honour; the order honors significant contributions to French culture, and French Culture Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres described DiCaprio as an 'icon, little Hollywood prince, bad boy from Los Angeles, modern romantic hero, Peter Pan of American cinema.' [January 5, 2005]
- #043
Early on, he was a contestant on the stunt game show "Fun House," where his challenge was to catch fish in a small pool using only his teeth.
- #044
He was turned down for Hobie Buchannon on "Baywatch," a setback DiCaprio later called a blessing in disguise.
- #045
DiCaprio's first Oscar win was celebrated on São Paulo's famous Avenida Paulista, the city's main boulevard, and on Avenida Atlântica in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, while hundreds of people blocked streets in Mexico to celebrate.
- #046
Fans in Russia's Republic of Yakutia donated their jewelry to make him an Oscar of their own and invited DiCaprio to the Russian Far East to collect the so-called 'Yakutian Oscar,' made from about 1.4 kilograms of melted-down silver.
- #047
As of 2016, Leo has been nominated for 38 different awards (6 Academy Awards, 4 BAFTA Awards, 11 Golden Globe Awards, 9 Screen Actors Guild Awards, 7 Critics' Choice Awards and 1 Emmy Award), but has only won 3 Golden Globes (the first was for The Aviator (2004) in 2005, the second for The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) in 2014 and the third for The Revenant (2015) in 2016), 1 SAG Award (for The Revenant), 1 BAFTA award (for The Revenant) and 2 Critics' Choice awards (the first for The Wolf of Wall Street in 2014 and the second for The Revenant in 2016). He won his first Oscar for The Revenant on February 28, 2016, on his fifth acting nomination and 22 years after his first nomination for What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993).
- #048
He has appeared in twelve films that have been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Titanic (1997), Gangs of New York (2002), 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), Don't Look Up (2021), Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) and One Battle After Another (2025). Titanic, The Departed and One Battle After Another won in the category.
- #049
After The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), took a 2 year hiatus from acting, citing exhaustion. His next film The Revenant (2015) was released more than two years after The Wolf of Wall Street (2013).
- #050
Possibly the only actor to play a character in almost every decade spanning the last 165 years.
- #051
Perhaps one of the most outrageous on-camera introductions ever given to a person (celebrity or otherwise) was the one co-host Tina Fey bestowed on DiCaprio during the 2014 Golden Globes telecast when she asked the audience to give him the same type of warm welcome he's used to receiving from "supermodels' vaginas.".
- #052
He has appeared in two films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Titanic (1997) and Inception (2010).
- #053
Every time DiCaprio was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar, one of his co-stars was nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category for the same movie (Alan Alda in The Aviator (2004), Djimon Hounsou in Blood Diamond (2006), Jonah Hill in The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) and Tom Hardy in The Revenant (2015)). Cate Blanchett is his only female co-star to be nominated (and win) an Oscar for a movie in which she co-starred with him, for her performance in The Aviator (2004), for which DiCaprio was nominated for Best Actor.
- #054
When DiCaprio was 10, his manager suggested he change his name to the more American-sounding 'Lenny Williams' to help his career, but the young DiCaprio refused and kept his own name, which he'd turn into a global brand.
- #055
Leonardo DiCaprio made his film debut in 1991 in the low-budget horror sequel Critters 3, as the stepson of a crooked landlord, a part he later described as "your average, no-depth, standard kid with blond hair" in a film he'd rather forget, "possibly one of the worst films of all time."
- #056
Leonardo DiCaprio took the role in Total Eclipse because he wanted to give a standout performance that would put the focus on his acting rather than his much-discussed looks.
- #057
In 2025, Leonardo DiCaprio said he regretted turning down Boogie Nights, calling it "a profound movie of my generation."
- #058
On 16 February 2016, British multimedia group The Line Animation released the 8-bit web game 'Leo's Red Carpet Rampage,' in which a tiny DiCaprio battles endlessly toward the Oscar waiting at the end of the red carpet, dodging obstacles from his career: paparazzi, the Titanic (1997) iceberg, the Quaalude overdose in The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), the bear attack in The Revenant (2015) and his Best Actor rivals.
- #059
Among the items DiCaprio handed over to the authorities in the 1MDB scandal investigation were Picasso's 'Nature Morte au Crane de Taureau,' valued at more than $3 million, the Basquiat collage 'Redman One,' worth at least $9 million, a Diane Arbus photograph valued at $750,000 and the Oscar Marlon Brando won for On the Waterfront (1954).
Life & Family (17)
- #060
He voluntarily handed over several artworks worth millions of dollars, and an Oscar statuette that once belonged to Marlon Brando, to the US government as part of its investigation into a money-laundering operation linked to Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.
- #061
On December 26, 2012, he attended Kate Winslet's private wedding to Ned Rocknroll in New York and gave the bride away.
- #062
He donated a Banksy from his collection to the amfAR Gala charity auction in Cannes, where it fetched $1 million after being introduced by Marion Cotillard and Michael Fassbender. [May 21, 2015]
- #063
He, Kate Winslet and James Cameron publicly pledged to support the last living Titanic survivor, Millvina Dean, after reports that she'd had to sell her mementos to pay her nursing home bills.
- #064
In 2006, he told The Independent his favorite films were Bicycle Thieves (1948), Taxi Driver (1976), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), 8½ (1963), The Third Man (1949), Yojimbo (1961), Sunset Boulevard (1950), The Shining (1980) and East of Eden (1955).
- #065
A Manhattan appeals court allowed a $45 million lawsuit to go ahead against DiCaprio by actor and screenwriter Roger Wilson, who claimed DiCaprio egged on his friends in a street fight that broke out after they made advances toward Wilson's girlfriend, Elizabeth Berkley, outside the midtown Manhattan restaurant Asia de Cuba in the early hours of May 4, 1998. The suit against DiCaprio was dismissed in 2004, with Judge Paula Omansky ruling that the case could continue against a fourth man, Todd Healy, who admitted hitting Wilson but said it was self-defense because he thought Wilson was reaching for something, possibly a weapon; since Healy never heard DiCaprio's alleged remark, the judge said, he couldn't have been incited by it.
- #066
He and his family paid for a state-of-the-art computer center at the Los Feliz branch of the Los Angeles Public Library, rebuilt after the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
- #067
On his way to St. Petersburg, Russia, for the International Tiger Conservation Forum as a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) guest, he was held up twice: Delta Flight 30 from JFK to Moscow had to make an emergency landing back at JFK soon after takeoff because of an engine flameout, and his replacement flight had to make an unscheduled stop in Helsinki, Finland, to refuel after strong winds over the Atlantic burned through its fuel. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who hosted the event, said a lesser man "could have read it as a sign - that it was not worth going," but Leo, whose late grandparents were Russian, made it and won Putin's respect. The summit aimed to double the world's wild tigers from 3,500 to 7,000 by 2022, and while there DiCaprio pledged $1 million to WWF for urgent tiger conservation through his fund at the California Community Foundation.
- #068
He gave Kate Winslet an engraved gold ring after they finished Revolutionary Road (2008), though she keeps the inscription a secret.
- #069
He pressed charges after a Canadian former model hit him with a bottle as he left a private party; although the cut was very close to his jugular vein, it wasn't expected to delay production on his latest film.
- #070
In March 1998, he sued Playgirl magazine over plans to publish photos of him, including full frontal nudity.
- #071
Is named after Leonardo Da Vinci because he first kicked in his mother's womb when she saw Leonardo Da Vinci's artwork at the Uffizi Gallery, his artist father felt it was apt. His paternal grandfather's middle name happens to be Leon.
- #072
Outbid Paris Hilton at a Cannes charity auction for a Chanel handbag, which he gave to his mother.
- #073
In his childhood, he and his mother lived in poor neighborhoods in Los Angeles which he describes as "Ghettos of Hollywood".
- #074
Martin Scorsese is his favorite director.
- #075
Openly supported John Kerry in the 2004 election. He went around 11 states and gave 20 speeches about the environment and how the Bush Administration has damaged it.
- #076
DiCaprio once said his favorite performance by an actress was Gena Rowlands's Mabel Longhetti in A Woman Under the Influence (1974), considered one of the strongest female performances ever.
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