Family
Leonardo Wilhelm Dicaprio was born on November 11, 1974 in Los Angeles, California to proud parents, George DiCaprio and Irmelin Idenbirken. Leo was an only child (though he does have a stepbrother named Adam).
Leonardo's parents met in college where Irmelin had moved to the United States from Germany when she was a young girl. When the two met, it was love at first sight. George and Irmelin shared the same interests and dreams and felt ready to settle down and start raising a family. Without much money, they moved to Los Angeles.
His mother is German and his father is Italian, and their backgrounds had a major influence on his upbringing. His father produces underground comic books and comic arts out of his garage. His mother was a legal secretary (before she began managing Leo's affairs.) They might be best described as liberal, pot-smoking hippies: "Whatever I did would be something they'd already done. I mean, my dad would welcome it if I got a nose ring." He remembers such household guests as comic-book artist Robert Crumb, writer Charles Bukowski, and novelist Hubert Selby, Jr. visiting as a child. "We're not the hippie family who only eats organic and the children meditate and go to a school of the arts. But we're not apple-pie and Republican, either." However, within a year of Leo's birth his parents decided to divorce.
What's in a Name?Leonardo was named after the Renaissance artist Leonardo Di Vinci. While Irmelin was looking at a painting in a museum in Italy, she felt her unborn baby jubilantly kick which gave Irmelin the idea of Leonardo. That, and the the fact Leo's paternal grandfather's middle name was Leon.
In the beginning of Leo's career while searching for an agent, Leo was further discouraged by the commercialism of the industry, when an agent had the audacity to proclaim that the actor would never make it in Hollywood with such an odd sounding name as Leonardo Wilhelm Dicaprio. "Too foreign." He was advised to change it to Lenny Williams. One agent even tried to alter his haircut telling Leo how "wrong" it was. However, Dicaprio refused to give up and he eventually found an agent daring enough to look past his name and haircut. He was finally signed at the age of fourteen, and struggled to break into the movie industry through commercials and educational films such as "How to Deal With a Parent Who Takes Drugs" and "Mickey's Safety Club." He took part in over thirty commercials in all, and eventually perservered with guest appearances on such television shows as Lassie, The Outsiders, Roseanne, and Parenthood. Though he was cast in his first movie in 1991, Leo would rather forget his minor and embarassing contribution to Critters III altogether. At sixteen, he finally landed a successful, regular role as a homeless boy in the teen sitcom Growing Pains that lasted for two years (24-episodes). Though only a small part, Leo's performance proved he had great potential; he easily outshined the rest of the cast.
Education
Leo was educated at the Center for Enriched Studies and John Marshall High School, both in LA. He often cheated in school (especially in math), and seemed more interested in entertaining his classmates than in doing his homework. "School, I never truly got the knack of. I could never focus on things I didn't want to learn. I used to, like, take half of the school and do break-dancing skits with my friend in front of them at lunchtime."
Although school was not exactly his forte, acting was. And at age 5, Leo made his acting debut on the television show Romper Room. However, Leo was booted from the set because of his uncontrollable behavior, and it would be eleven years until he would land a big-screen role. At age ten, on the way home from a casting call where he had just been callously rejected, he cried to his father, "Dad, I really want to become an actor, but if this is what it's all about I don't want to do it." Leo recalls his father put his arm around him and said, "Someday, Leonardo, it will happen for you. Remember these words. Just relax."
Film CareerHis big break was undoubtedly his leading role as Tobias Wolff in This Boy's Life with Robert DiNero one of Leo's favorite actors. Though Leo's natural, brilliant performance in this "coming of age" movie didn't hit home at the box office, he gained instant recognition as a talented rising actor.
Now given the opportunity to be picky about his roles, Leo chooses them carefully. He welcomes help from his father in sifting through the facile, mainstream roles most actors gleefully accept. Leo seems to be most at home on the big screen playing a variety of challenging characters that allow him to stretch his abilities further with each role. Leo has turned down such commercially popular roles as Robin in Batman Forever, and continues to look for the more challenging "dark roles." "I want to take my time with each role and that's how you plan a long career rather than doing it all at once in a big explosion. I turned down a lot of movies about death and a few cheesy little comedies as well."
Leo is a favorite of many professional and amateur critics because of his unique ability to play the "boy/man" border with such ease and natural spontaneity. Though 23, Leo's boyish looks allow him to apply his learned experience and charm to younger roles that many of his immature competitors cannot handle. "The best thing about acting is that I get to lose myself in another character and actually get paid for it. It's a great outlet. As for myself, I'm not sure who I am. It seems that I change every day."
DiCaprio's film credits thus far include:
Film CreditsCritters 3, Poison Ivy, This Boy's Life, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Quick and the Dead, The Basketball Diaries, Total Eclipse, William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Marvin's Room, Titanic and The Man in the Iron Mask.
AwardsAt the age of 19, Leo garnered his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of "Arnie Grape" in What's Eating Gilbert Grape. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance in What's Eating Gilbert Grape. In 1998 at the age of 23, Leo was nominated for another Golden Globe in the Best Actor (Drama) category for his portrayal of the character "Jack Dawson" in Titanic.
Leo's Favorites & Other Info
Name: Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio Nick Names: Leo & The Noodle Birthdate: 11-11-74 Height: 6'0 Weight: 140lbs. Resides: Hollywood, CA Birthplace: Los Angeles, CA Hair Color: Blonde Eye Color: green/blue Parents: George and Irmelin Siblings: Step-brother, Adam Zodiac Sign: Scorpio Education: John Marshall H.S. &
Center for Enriched StudiesFave Book: "The Old Man and The Sea"
by Ernest HemingwayDrives: Silver BMW Coupe Fave Sports: Basketball and Baseball Fave Musician: Harry Connick Jr. Fave Car: '69 Mustang Fave Music: Rap Fave Actress: Meg Ryan Fave Actors: Robert De Niro,
Al Pacino, Jack NicholsonFave Bands: Pink Floyd,
The Beatles, Led ZeppelinMusical Instrument Played: Organ Fave TV Show: The Twilight Zone Fave Vacation Place: Germany Fave Food: Pasta Little Known Fact:
He Speaks German FluentlyFave Drinks: Lemonade,
Diet Coke, FruitopiaFave Colors: Black, Green, Purple Fave Cities: New York, San Fransisco Fave Childhood Memory:
Terrorizing his neighborhood with
his practical jokesBest Birthday:
"My sixteenth, because I started to drive."Fave Song: "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" Fave Game: Pool Habits:
"Twisting my hair and biting my nails"Highest Wish:
"To save the environment and live in peace"Main Goal in Life:
To become a successful actor.Childhood Description:
Funny, goofy, and cuteWorst Quality: procrastinates Fave Movies: Godfather I, II, & III Best Quality: good sense of humor Pets: Rottweiler (named Baby) and a Bearded Dragon Lizard (named Blizard). Hobby: Writing poetry & short stories Shoe Size: 10
Quote:
"People want you to be a crazy, out-of-control teen brat.
They want you miserable, just like them.
They don't want heroes; what they want is to see you fall.
--Leonardo DiCaprio
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