Leonardo DiCaprio Biography: Hollywood’s Selective Superstar

October 27, 2026

Daniel Reed

Leonardo DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer born on 11 November 1974 in Los Angeles, California, whose career runs from child television roles to global stardom in Titanic (1997) and an Academy Award for Best Actor for The Revenant (2015). Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he pairs blockbuster success with environmental activism.

Leonardo DiCaprio biography: quick facts

Full name: Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio
Born: 11 November 1974, Los Angeles, California, United States
Nationality: American
Occupation: Actor, film producer, environmental activist
Known for: Titanic, Inception, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Revenant, One Battle After Another
Partner: Vittoria Ceretti (dating since 2023, widely reported)
Children: None publicly known
Production company: Appian Way Productions (founded 2001)

Early life

Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio was born on 11 November 1974 in Los Angeles, California, the only child of Irmelin Indenbirken, a legal secretary born in Germany, and George DiCaprio, an underground comics writer, publisher and distributor, according to Celebrity Net Worth and EBSCO’s research profile. His parents separated when he was still very young, and he was raised mostly by his mother in Los Angeles.

As a child he appeared in commercials and educational films before moving into television, with early credits including Parenthood and a recurring role as Luke Brower on the sitcom Growing Pains. His film debut came in the horror sequel Critters 3 (1991).

Breakthrough: This Boy’s Life and an Oscar nomination at 19

DiCaprio’s breakthrough arrived in 1993, when he starred opposite Robert De Niro as Tobias Wolff in This Boy’s Life and, in the same year, played Arnie Grape in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. The latter earned him his first Academy Award nomination, for Best Supporting Actor, at the age of 19. He followed with The Basketball Diaries (1995) and Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet (1996), which made him a teen idol and proved he could carry a commercial hit.

Titanic and the choice to slow down

James Cameron’s Titanic (1997), in which DiCaprio played Jack Dawson opposite Kate Winslet, turned him into a global superstar overnight. Rather than cash in with similar roles, he deliberately slowed down and chose demanding parts with major directors, beginning with Gangs of New York (2002), his first collaboration with Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can (2002).

The Scorsese years and critical peak

DiCaprio’s partnership with Scorsese became the defining collaboration of his career, spanning The Aviator (2004), The Departed (2006), Shutter Island (2010), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023). Between those films he starred in Christopher Nolan’s Inception (2010) and Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained (2012). He won Best Actor at the 88th Academy Awards on 28 February 2016 for playing Hugh Glass in The Revenant (2015), his first win after five nominations.

Recent years: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood to One Battle After Another

In 2019 DiCaprio played fading television star Rick Dalton in Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. He followed it with Adam McKay’s Netflix satire Don’t Look Up (2021) and Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon (2023). His most recent leading role is Bob Ferguson in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, released in September 2025 and carried into the 2026 awards season.

Environmental activism and producing

DiCaprio founded the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998, at the age of 24, with a mission of protecting the Earth’s last wild places, and the United Nations records that he was designated a UN Messenger of Peace with a special focus on climate change in 2014, as stated by the United Nations. His production company, Appian Way Productions, founded in 2001, has produced many of his own films as well as environmental documentaries including Before the Flood (2016).

Personal life

DiCaprio has been linked publicly to Italian model Vittoria Ceretti since August 2023, when the pair were first photographed together. In October 2026 the couple were photographed together in Hawaii around the 10 October wedding weekend of jewellery designer Jennifer Meyer and music executive Geoff Ogunlesi at the Four Seasons Resort Lanai, as OK! Magazine reported on 12 October 2026. He has no publicly known children.

Major achievements

DiCaprio has won one Academy Award (Best Actor, The Revenant, 2016), three Golden Globe Awards and one BAFTA, and his films have grossed more than $7.5 billion worldwide in leading or lead-ensemble roles, according to Celebrity Net Worth’s running tally. Since 2019 he has averaged roughly one film every two years, each with a major director attached.

Net worth snapshot

Leonardo DiCaprio’s net worth is estimated at about $300 million as of October 2026, based on Celebrity Net Worth’s figure as echoed by Parade; no Forbes or Bloomberg valuation was found. For the full breakdown, earnings timeline and methodology, read Leonardo DiCaprio’s net worth.

Frequently asked questions about Leonardo DiCaprio

Who is Leonardo DiCaprio?

Leonardo DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer born on 11 November 1974 in Los Angeles, California, best known for Titanic, Inception, The Wolf of Wall Street and The Revenant, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2016.

When was Leonardo DiCaprio born?

Leonardo DiCaprio was born on 11 November 1974 in Los Angeles, California, the only child of Irmelin Indenbirken and George DiCaprio.

What was Leonardo DiCaprio’s first Oscar win?

Leonardo DiCaprio won his first and only Academy Award to date at the 88th Academy Awards on 28 February 2016, taking Best Actor for his role as Hugh Glass in The Revenant (2015).

Who is Leonardo DiCaprio dating?

Leonardo DiCaprio has been publicly linked to Italian model Vittoria Ceretti since August 2023, and the pair were photographed together in Hawaii in October 2026. No engagement or marriage has been reported.

What is Leonardo DiCaprio’s latest film?

Leonardo DiCaprio’s most recent leading role is Bob Ferguson in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, released in September 2025 and carried into the 2026 awards season.