Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio was born Nov. 11, 1974 in Los Angeles, California. His parents are George DiCaprio and Irmelin Indenbirken. They divorced when DiCaprio was a year old and he grew up in Echo Park, California.

At the age of five, DiCaprio appeared on the children’s television show, “Romper Room.” He attended John Marshall High School. His acting career was derailed when he could not get an agent due to the fact that he was told his name was too foreign sounding and that DiCaprio should change it, he refused.

In 1989, DiCaprio was cast on the television series, “Parenthood.” where he met his best friend future actor Tobey McGuire. That same year, DiCaprio appeared on the NBC soap opera “Santa Barbara,” as a young “Mason Capwell” in flashbacks. From 1992 to 1993, DiCaprio starred as “Luke Bower,” on “Growing Pains.”

His debut role was in 1991’s “Critters 3.” But, DiCaprio’s breakthrough role in feature films came with his role in 1993’s “This Boy’s Life,” which co-starred Ellen Barkin and Robert DeNiro. That same year he played a mentally handicapped boy in “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.” He won an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting role.

In 1996, DiCaprio played the lead role in 1996’s modern-day version of “Romeo + Juliet,” directed by Baz Luhrman, who would later direct 2001’s “Moulin Rouge.”

DiCaprio catapulted to Hollywood superstardom with the role of “Jack Dawson,” in 1997’s epic blockbuster, “titanic,” co-starring with Kate Winslet. DiCaprio has been on the covers of magazines like “Vanity Fair,” and Rolling Stone.”

As a result of his celebrity, the phenomena known as “Leo-mania” swept through countries like Thailand and Australia.

In 2000, he starred in the box office flop, “The Beach.”

2002 saw DiCaprio starring in two critically acclaimed films, “Catch Me If You Can,” starring Tom Hanks and “Gangs of New York,” starring Cameron Diaz.

In 2004, DiCaprio was nominated for an Academy Award for his work in 2004’s “The Aviator.”

DiCaprio has his own production company, Appian Way, which has several projects in the works.

As for DiCaprio’s romantic life, he has been linked to model Kristen Zang and recently broke off his relationship with model Gisele Bundchen.