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Leonardo DiCaprio Biography |
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His name allegedly derives from his German mother Irmalin`s having experienced a sudden kick from her unborn boy while enjoying a DaVinci painting at the Uffizi. In the year following his birth, she and his Italian father, George, were divorced. He grew up in Echo Park, then a particularly seedy, drug-dominated area of Los Angeles. At five he appeared on his favorite TV show "Romper Room" (1953) and was nearly thrown off for misbehaving. After a string of commercials, educational films ("Mickey`s Safety Club"), occasional parts in TV series, a debut film role as Josh in Critters 3 (1991), a continuing role as the homeless boy Luke in the TV series "Growing Pains" (1985), he got his break-through part as Toby in This Boy`s Life (1993), co-starring with Robert De Niro and Ellen Barkin.
The part led the New York Film Critics and the National Society of Film Critics to name him runner-up for Best Supporting Actor. His first Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations came for the difficult role of Arnie in What`s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993). Equally challenging parts were a drug-troubled Jim Carroll in The Basketball Diaries (1995), the tormented homosexual poet Rimbaud in Total Eclipse (1995), and the angry teenage son of a harried mother in Marvin`s Room (1996). He made a major impact with his starring role in a very updated Romeo + Juliet (1996). Superstardom came to DiCaprio playing Jack Dawson in Titanic (1997), highest grossing film ever, tied with Ben-Hur (1959) for most Academy Awards, though Leo himself was not nominated. His performance in the remake of The Man in the Iron Mask (1998/I) was poorly received, but the film still turned a profit. His next major film, The Beach (2000/I), was not a success, but he made another comeback in Catch Me If You Can (2002) and remains an A-list star. Biography Credit: Ed Stephan < stephan@cc.wwu.edu> |
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Trivia |
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Distinctive Featuresblue eyesFriends and FamilyTobey Maguire [Friend] :: Christopher Pettiet [Friend] :: Kate Winslet [Friend] :: Mark Wahlberg [Friend] :: Kevin Connolly [Friend] :: Lukas Haas [Friend] :: Vincent Gallo [Friend] :: Adam Farrar [Step Brother] :: George DiCaprio [Father] :: Irmalin [Mother] :: Helene Indenbirken [Grandmother]Trivia and QuotesQuotes As a little kid growing up in Hollywood, I was called `a little crazy`. And now I guess I`m still that way. I like to help the whales, the otters, and the dolphins. When I`m acting and I take a break, the first thing on my list is spending time by the sea. You can either be a vain movie star, or you can try to shed some light on different aspects of the human condition. On working with Martin Scorsese in Gangs of New York (2002): "He`s a perfectionist, obsessed with detail. That`s why he went over budget and over schedule." 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. The great thing about turning 30 in this business is that you get to perpetuate being young or old as long as we want.Trivia Early in his career he appeared as a contestant on a game show called "Fun House" where stunts were performed - his involved trying to catch fish in a small pool with only his teeth. His German grandmother died at the age of 93 in August 2008. Martin Scorsese is his favorite director. Refers to his German grandmother as "Oma". Very close friends with Vincent Gallo. Good friends with Mark Wahlberg, Lukas Haas, and Kevin Connolly. He and Gisele Bündchen were chosen by People Magazine as the "Most Beatiful Couple in the World", in 2004. His favorite food is pasta. His favorite drink is lemonade. In his childhood, he and his mother lived in poor neighborhoods in Los Angeles which he describes as "Ghettos of Hollywood". Very good friends with actress Kate Winslet. Childhood friends with Tobey Maguire and the late Christopher Pettiet. He is an environmental conservationist and often advocates and supports natural causes. Of 3/4 German and 1/4 Italian descent. His paternal grandfather was an Italian immigrant Robert De Niro and Jack Nicholson are his favorite actors. Was offered the role of the porn star Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights (1997) at around the same time as he was offered his role in Titanic (1997). The Dirk Diggler role eventually went to Mark Wahlberg. At age 10, his agent advised him to change his name to a more American- friendly Lenny Williams. Needless to say, he did not follow that advice. Attended John Marshall High School in Los Angeles, California. Chosen by People Magazine as one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World." [1997] His first publicity spot was about MILK. In January 1999, his lawyers filed an application to allow DiCaprio to copyright his own name. Ranked #75 in Empire (UK) magazine`s "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997] Sues Playgirl magazine over plans to publish pictures --including full frontal nudity -- of himself. [March 1998] Was considering starring in a movie about actor James Dean but turned down the role because he felt he wasn`t experienced enough to do the film. [1996] Was set to star in American Psycho (2000) but had to drop it due to scheduling conflicts. Christian Bale took the part instead. When five years old, he was in an educational TV program, called "Romper Room" (1953) and was nearly kicked off for uncontrollable behavior. | ||
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