Overview
To many it may have seemed that Leonardo DiCaprio's leap to super-stardom in the blockbuster Titanic was an overnight phenomenon. In fact, this young Hollywood idol was bitten by the acting bug when he auditioned for the TV show Romper Room at the age of five. After a beginning in TV commercials at 14, he moved into roles in sitcoms and a brief stint in the "soaps."Feature films, however, were Leonardo's goal, and he made an impressive debut in This Boy's Life in 1993. Other films followed, among them What's Eating Gilbert Grape, for which he received an Oscar nomination, The Basketball Diaries, and Total Eclipse. Although Leonardo won praise for his roles and gained valuable experience, his films did not fully catch on with mainstream audiences until he exploded onto the screen as a romantic hero, first in Romeo & Juliet and then in Titanic.
Leonardo, born in Los Angeles in 1974, credits much of his success to the love and support of his parents. His mother and father, although separated, worked together as a family, allowing their outgoing child to express his creativity and indulging his desire to be an actor. As Leonardo's career continues, his parents will undoubtedly have even more to be proud of in their talented son.
A biography of the young actor who has built his career on roles in such films as "The Basketball Diaries", "Romeo and Juliet", and "Titanic".