Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (born November 11, 1974) is a three-time Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe Award-winning American actor well known for his roles in blockbuster movies such as William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet (1996), Titanic (1997), The Beach (2000), Catch Me If You Can (2002), Gangs of New York (2002), The Aviator (2004), The Departed (2006), and Blood Diamond (2006), and was, as a young man, famed for his global celebrity influence dubbed as "Leomania" in the late 1990s following his role as heartthrob protagonist Jack Dawson in Titanic. More recently, he has worked regularly with director Martin Scorsese which has led some to compare their partnership to that of Scorsese and actor Robert De Niro.DiCaprio was born in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, the son of George DiCaprio, a distributor of comic books, and Irmelin Indenbirken, a former legal secretary. DiCaprio's German mother moved from Oer-Erkenschwick, Germany to the U.S. during her childhood, while his father is of half Italian and half German descent.DiCaprio's parents met while attending college together and subsequently moved to Los Angeles. His last name means "from Capri" in Italian; he was named after artist Leonardo da Vinci, as his pregnant mother was standing in front of a da Vinci painting at a museum in Italy when DiCaprio first kicked; his mother named him Leonardo DiCaprio's parents divorced when he was a year old, and he subsequently lived mostly with his mother, although his father was also around. During his childhood, DiCaprio was interested in baseball cards, comic books and frequently visited museums, often with his father. He also spent part of his childhood in Germany, where his maternal grandparents, Wilhelm and Helene, still lived, and still speaks German fluently. DiCaprio and his mother lived in several poor neighborhoods, predominantly Echo Park, (which DiCaprio has described as the "Ghettos of Hollywood"), and his mother worked several jobs to support them.
DiCaprio was inspired to become an actor after Adam Starr (a stepson of his father's from his father's re-marriage), began appearing in commercials. DiCaprio began looking for an agent at the age of twelve, but was initially turned down several times; one agent suggested that he anglicize his name to "Lenny Williams", which DiCaprio rejected.
DiCaprio attended Canterbury Elementary and John Marshall High School, before attending the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies.
DiCaprio is best friends with actor Tobey Maguire, whom he beat to get roles in Growing Pains and This Boy's Life. He is also good friends with Kate Winslet, Mark Wahlberg, Ben Affleck, whom he worked with during the John Kerry presidential campaign, Lukas Haas, Ethan Suplee, and Kevin Connolly. DiCaprio sued Playgirl magazine to stop the New York-based monthly magazine from publishing unauthorized nude photos of him in its July 1998 issue. Some reports claim the photos were secretly taken while the actor was lounging in the nude, while others say they came from stills of his nude scenes in, or from outtakes of, the movie Total Eclipse. The case was settled on June 29, 1998 for an undisclosed amount.
A registered Democrat in California, DiCaprio has been active in promoting liberal causes, and in 2004 supported Senator John Kerry's presidential campaign.
A committed environmentalist, DiCaprio has received praise from environmental groups for opting to fly on commercial flights instead of chartering private jets, which use more fuel. He has also mentioned that he drives a hybrid car and that his house has solar panels. His actions have inspired other celebrities, such as Orlando Bloom and Penelope Cruz. In an article in Ukula about his new film 11th Hour (which he co-wrote, co-produced and narrated), DiCaprio cites global warming as "the number one environmental challenge.". DiCaprio and former vice-president Al Gore announced at the 2007 Oscar ceremony that the Oscars had incorporated environmentally intelligent practices throughout the planning and production processes, thus affirming their commitment to the environment. On July 7, 2007, DiCaprio presented at the American leg of Live Earth.
In 1998, he and his mother donated $35,000 for a state-of-the-art "Leonardo DiCaprio Computer Center" at the Los Feliz branch of the Los Angeles Public Library (1874 Hillhurst Avenue) which happens to be the site of his childhood home. It was rebuilt after the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and opened in early 1999. There are commemorative placards and curious fans are welcomed at the library.
During the filming of Blood Diamond , DiCaprio worked with 24 orphaned children from the SOS Children's Village in Maputo, Mozambique and was said to be extremely touched by his interactions with the children.
He is currently in a relationship with Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli. He has previously dated Gisele Bundchen.
