Leonardo DiCaprio

<p>Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio was born on November 11, 1974, in Los Angeles, California. Named after Leonardo da Vinci because his pregnant mother felt him kick while viewing a da Vinci painting in Florence, DiCaprio began acting in television commercials and sitcoms as a teenager. His breakthrough came in 1993 opposite Robert De Niro in <em>This Boy's Life</em> and <em>What's Eating Gilbert Grape</em>, earning his first Academy Award nomination at age nineteen.</p>
<p>DiCaprio achieved unprecedented global superstar status in 1997 starring as Jack Dawson in James Cameron's record-smashing romantic epic <em>Titanic</em>. Rather than capitalizing on conventional romantic leads, DiCaprio deliberately steered his career toward complex, demanding character roles with world-class auteurs. He forged a legendary creative partnership with Martin Scorsese, starring in modern masterpieces including <em>Gangs of New York</em>, <em>The Aviator</em>, <em>The Departed</em>, and <em>The Wolf of Wall Street</em>.</p>
<p>Known for his extraordinary physical and emotional commitment, DiCaprio won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2016 for Alejandro González Iñárritu's wilderness epic <em>The Revenant</em>. An ardent environmentalist since 1998, his Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation has awarded over $100 million in grants to biodiversity conservation, ocean restoration, and indigenous land rights worldwide.</p>