His name allegedly derives from his German mother Irmalin's having experienced a sudden kick from her unborn boy while enjoying a DaVinci painting at the Uffizi. In the year following his birth, she and his Italian father, George, were divorced. He grew up in Echo Park, then a particularly seedy, drug-dominated area of Los Angeles. At five he appeared on his favorite TV show _"Romper Room" (1970)_ ...
show all His name allegedly derives from his German mother Irmalin's having experienced a sudden kick from her unborn boy while enjoying a DaVinci painting at the Uffizi. In the year following his birth, she and his Italian father, George, were divorced. He grew up in Echo Park, then a particularly seedy, drug-dominated area of Los Angeles. At five he appeared on his favorite TV show _"Romper Room" (1970)_ and was nearly thrown off for misbehaving. After a string of commercials, educational films ("Mickey's Safety Club"), occasional parts in TV series, a debut film role as Josh in "Critters 3 (1991)", a continuing role as the homeless boy Luke in the TV series "Growing Pains" (1985)", he got his break-through part as Toby in "This Boy's Life (1993)", co-starring with Robert De Niro and Ellen Barkin.
The part led the New York Film Critics and the National Society of Film Critics to name him runner-up for Best Supporting Actor. His first Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations came for the difficult role of Arnie in "The What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)". Equally challenging parts were a drug-troubled Jim Carroll in "Basketball Diaries (1995)", the tormented homosexual poet Rimbaud in "Total Eclipse (1995)", and the male lead in a very updated "Romeo + Juliet (1996)". Superstardom came to DiCaprio playing Jack Dawson in "Titanic (1997)", highest grossing film ever, tied with "Ben-Hur (1959)" for most Academy Awards, though Leo himself was not nominated.
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