Leonardo DiCaprio biography, girlfriend, Oscar, net worth, age, young 2025

Leonardo DiCaprio Biography

A bohemian child, Martin Scorsese's favorite, Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino's go-to star, Oscar winner for Best Actor and Golden Raspberry recipient for Worst, actor, producer, heartthrob to millions, and Hollywood's most eligible bachelor – that's Leonardo DiCaprio.

Childhood and Family

Leonardo is the only child of Irmelin Indenbirken and George DiCaprio. When they met, they were both students – she later worked as a legal secretary, while he became a comic book distributor and artist himself. Some experts believe George contributed to the "comic book revolution of the '60s."

Even before birth, the future star made his relationship with art known. The baby started kicking in his mother's womb while she was admiring Leonardo da Vinci's works at Florence's Uffizi Gallery. George decided his unborn son was sending a signal – his name should be Leonardo! So when a boy was born in Los Angeles on November 11, 1974, he was named Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio.

The actor's ancestry includes Italian, German, and Russian roots. His maternal grandmother's name is Yelizaveta Smirnova. As a young girl, fleeing the aftermath of the revolution, she escaped to Germany with her parents. She assimilated, changed her name to Helene, married a German and took the surname Indenbirken, but never forgot her native language. Leonardo's mother was born in 1943, in the midst of World War II, right on the floor of a bomb shelter. The Indenbirken family never supported Nazi atrocities and in 1955, as soon as they got the chance, emigrated to New York.

Leonardo DiCaprio's grandmother (center) was born in the Russian Empire

Leonardo's parents divorced when he was one. George moved to East Hollywood. Leo split his time between his dad and his new partner Peggy Farrar, who had a son named Adam from a previous marriage, and his mom. The boy preferred spending time at his father's house – it had a bohemian atmosphere, with other artists and cultural icons like Matt Groening and Timothy Leary often dropping by.

His mother drove him to a prestigious elementary school at the university, spending 4 hours a day on the commute. Then came 4 years at a school for gifted children, but the guy had trouble focusing on academics.

Whether it was the explosive mix of blood – Italian on his father's side, German and Russian on his mother's – or appearing on a children's TV show at just 2.5 years old, by 14 the kid knew for sure he'd be an actor.

His last educational stop was John Marshall High School. Despite his parents' early divorce, Leonardo always felt supported by his father, the comic book artist. His parents encouraged and nurtured their son's creative nature, supporting his early interest in acting.

When Leonardo was 11, his grandparents returned to Germany. But he stayed in touch and often visited his beloved grandmother until her death in 2008. The actor is proud of his Russian roots and sometimes jokingly calls himself "half Russian." It was Helene who introduced Leo to Dostoevsky's work and explained that drama is a magnifying glass reflecting human character.

"I loved imitating people... I enjoyed joking around with my parents and creating different characters" – that's how the actor remembered his childhood.

Leonardo admitted he grew up in poverty: "Our family was poor, really poor." Still, he's grateful to his parents for teaching him to be content with little, not to worry about which store his clothes or food came from—because it doesn't matter if you have something to wear and you're not going hungry. They also taught the boy not to waste time feeling sorry for himself, to focus on his goals and work toward them step by step. That's why DiCaprio hates hearing that he "just got lucky being in the right place—I mean, being born in Hollywood."

Early Roles

Leonardo DiCaprio's acting career started young. At five, he was invited onto Romper Room, a preschool TV show that had been on air since the early '50s. But he barely had time to settle in before getting kicked off for bad behavior.

A few years later, when his half-brother Adam Farrar—three years older—started booking commercial gigs and quickly became in-demand, 13-year-old Leonardo was inspired. He demanded his parents take him to auditions too.

Leonardo DiCaprio and his older half-brother Adam

Young Leonardo DiCaprio's first commercial was for Matchbox toy cars, where he played a gangster. "What did I learn from that first shoot? 'Know your lines cold.' I was so nervous I forgot everything." After that came spots for Apple Jacks cereal, Kraft Singles cheese, Bubble Yum gum, Fred Meyer stores, and Honda and Suzuki cars.

Young Leonardo DiCaprio in Bubble Yum commercial

As tends to happen, casting directors noticed the blond angel-faced kid, and by the early '90s he was regularly working on TV shows. He appeared in "Santa Barbara", "The New Lassie", and the comedy series "Parenthood".

1991 brought a breakthrough for the rising young actor. First came a role on "Growing Pains", where he met Kirk Cameron and Alan Thicke. That same year, he made his film debut in the low-budget but popular horror flick "Critters 3". Next was a small part in the teen drama "Poison Ivy" with Drew Barrymore and Sara Gilbert.

Two years later, Leo got his chance to show he could handle serious drama. In "This Boy's Life", he played a teenager caught in a difficult family situation, with the legendary Robert De Niro as his abusive stepfather. His on-screen buddy was future Spider-Man Tobey Maguire. He and Tobey have stayed friends ever since.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro in the film "This Boy's Life"

Breaking Through

In 1993, following the critically acclaimed "This Boy's Life", came "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" starring Johnny Depp in the lead role. Leonardo, though he was already pushing 20, delivered such a convincing performance as a mentally disabled teenager that he earned an Oscar nomination.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp in the drama "What's Eating Gilbert Grape"

DiCaprio kept pursuing compelling projects. He starred in 1995's "The Basketball Diaries", then worked alongside Russell Crowe, Sharon Stone, and Gene Hackman in The Quick and the Dead. In "Romeo+Juliet" (1996), he paired up with Claire Danes. Baz Luhrmann's modern take on William Shakespeare's timeless tragedy proved deeply moving, pulling in $147 million worldwide.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes in "Romeo+Juliet"

DiCaprio became a superstar in 1997 with another tragic love story—this time with Kate Winslet's character, set against the sinking of the Titanic. The film made history as a record-breaker: it won 11 Oscars, had a then-staggering budget of $200 million, grossed over $1.5 billion worldwide, and turned Leo into the ultimate heartthrob for millions of fans, especially women.

Titanic • My Heart Will Go On • Celine Dion

James Cameron nailed his casting choices. The film's success proved that Leonardo could handle traditional Hollywood roles. He became a global sensation and was named by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in both 1997 and 1998.

Muse to Scorsese and Spielberg

After Titanic came a slight career dip, as "The Man in the Iron Mask" (1998) and "The Beach" (2000) didn't deliver either financially or artistically. Even a stellar trio of Jeremy Irons, Gérard Depardieu, and John Malkovich couldn't save "The Man in the Iron Mask". But Leo bounced back fast.

Leonardo DiCaprio with Tom Hanks in "Catch Me If You Can"

He showcased his range in two standout films. In 2002, he teamed up with Tom Hanks in Steven Spielberg's "Catch Me If You Can" and starred in "Gangs of New York". That last one marked the first of many collaborations with Hollywood legend Martin Scorsese.

The Aviator (2004) Official Trailer

In "The Aviator" (2004), DiCaprio took on one of America's most famous businessmen, with Cate Blanchett playing his love interest. In 2006, he starred in two iconic films: "Blood Diamond" and "The Departed". The latter brought together a brilliant acting trio with Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson.

Career Peak

In 2008, Leonardo reunited with Kate Winslet for "Revolutionary Road", an intense drama about a married couple living in the mid-20th century and facing personal struggles. Then, in 2010, he explored a mind-bending future in Christopher Nolan's "Inception", where technology allows people to invade others' dreams and subconscious minds.

That same year, DiCaprio starred in the twist-ending thriller "Shutter Island", with Mark Ruffalo playing his partner.

Leonardo DiCaprio in the thriller "Shutter Island"

"J. Edgar" was a 2011 drama directed by Clint Eastwood, where DiCaprio transformed into J. Edgar Hoover, who ran the FBI for nearly 50 years. The prep work proved challenging for the actor, since the film was biographical and witnesses to the events were still alive.

In 2013, Leonardo worked with Quentin Tarantino on the period piece Django Unchained, which also starred Kerry Washington, Jamie Foxx, and Christoph Waltz.

Who's the Boss? - The Wolf Of Wall Street

That same year, he returned to Scorsese once again, starring in "The Wolf of Wall Street", based on the memoirs of Jordan Belfort, the notorious financial fraudster who scammed investors in the '90s. Matthew McConaughey and Jonah Hill also appeared in the film. The movie later sparked legal troubles with Belfort's former assistant. Andrew Greene filed a defamation lawsuit because his former boss's character was "portrayed as a criminal, drug addict, corrupt and devoid of any morality."

In 2018, Quentin Tarantino assembled an impressive cast for the crime drama "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood". Leonardo worked alongside Brad Pitt, the stunning Margot Robbie, Dakota Fanning, and legends Kurt Russell and Al Pacino. The director also brought in Maya Hawke, daughter of Uma Thurman.

Oscar for The Revenant

In late 2015, DiCaprio starred in director Alejandro González Iñárritu's film, playing frontiersman Hugh Glass, forced to survive in the brutal conditions of a harsh winter in the early 19th-century Wild West. Glass, treacherously left for dead in the snow, crawled 300 kilometers and came within a hair's breadth of death multiple times before reaching the fort and taking revenge on his would-be killer.

The scariest part of filming, according to Leonardo, was the silence. Three-quarters of his screen time is spent alone (not counting the bear his character ultimately defeats with his bare hands).

...I need to dissolve into nature, I need to have a silent conversation with the snow, with the trees, with the animals, with the moon in the sky. It's incredibly difficult.

On top of the psychological pressure came excruciating physical pain. But "The Revenant"'s director is a man of principle—he despises green screen and CGI shortcuts. Someone else might've taken pity on the actor and allowed the snow to be added digitally, but not Iñárritu. Throughout the entire shooting day, DiCaprio worked in freezing temperatures. His hands, feet, ears, and cheeks went numb from the cold.

On camera, Leonardo eats real bison liver. The horse carcass he slept in was also real, and he actually climbed inside it.

Leonardo won his long-awaited Oscar for The Revenant. Only in 2016, after 4 nominations, did he finally receive the highest honor for acting. In his acceptance speech, he spoke about climate change and the real threat humanity poses to the planet.

Leonardo DiCaprio at the 2016 Oscar ceremony

In 2019, audiences saw a stunning pairing of DiCaprio and Brad Pitt in Quentin Tarantino's 9th film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Leonardo plays western star Rick Dalton (possibly based on Burt Reynolds) at the crossroads of Old and New Hollywood.

On the set of the crime drama "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood"

Dalton realizes he's past his prime, aged out of playing handsome cowboys, and audiences aren't interested in cookie-cutter westerns anymore. This is the era of new directors who are raw and honest with viewers: Roman Polanski, Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen. All that's left for Dalton is to live an idle lifestyle with stuntman Cliff Booth and hope someone offers him a contract to shoot in Italy.

A shot from "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood"

Audiences particularly loved DiCaprio's character's monologue on set, where he retells the plot of a book about a crippled horse wrangler to a young actress (Julia Butters), as well as the actual filming moment in the western where he's no longer playing the lead but the villain—a role he nails brilliantly, even though he knows he'll probably never land a protagonist role in any worthwhile project again.

In 2021, DiCaprio landed one of the lead roles in the satirical comedy "Don't Look Up." He plays an astronomy professor whose grad student (Jennifer Lawrence) discovers a comet hurtling toward Earth. The calculations show the planet and all life will be destroyed. The professor and student try to get through to politicians and ordinary citizens, but everyone's more interested in following the latest pop star breakup – or they'd rather just not look up.

The timely film earned four Oscar nominations and rave reviews from critics. DiCaprio himself, as a committed environmental advocate, noted that people stubbornly ignore things that could lead to humanity's extinction.

"Don't Look Up is an analogy of modern culture and our inability to hear and listen to scientific truth."

In 2022, Leonardo ranked third on the list of highest-paid actors. He earned that spot thanks to a $30 million paycheck for Martin Scorsese's thriller "Killers of the Flower Moon," where he starred alongside Robert De Niro.

That same year, Scorsese, trying his hand at series television, cast his favorite actor in the lead role for "The Devil in the White City." Leonardo was set to play America's serial killer H.H. Holmes, who built a hotel in Chicago and tortured its guests to death. But Todd Field eventually took over as director, Keanu Reeves replaced DiCaprio, and the series was soon canceled in early production.

Environmental Champion

DiCaprio constantly draws public attention to environmental issues. He founded the nonprofit Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation and serves as its main sponsor, donating over $30 million to conservation projects in 40 countries worldwide.

In 2007, he even produced the documentary "The 11th Hour" and participated in creating 2016's "Before the Flood," both focused on climate change. In 2014, the UN appointed the actor as a Messenger of Peace for his contributions to protecting nature.

Leonardo owns a small island in the Caribbean, which he bought back in 2008, and he's now working to restore the coastline damaged by fishing activities. Leonardo is building a resort of the future that will be completely harmless to the island's ecology.

In 2008, Leonardo DiCaprio bought an island in the Caribbean

Beyond that, DiCaprio invests in the company Love The Wild, promoting sustainable aquaculture.

The actor has a personal blog, but unlike most of his colleagues, he doesn't post personal photos there. At all. Every post is a call to his more than 62 million followers to treat our planet and its inhabitants with care.

Leonardo DiCaprio's Personal Life

Leo's a grown man now, but he's never walked down the aisle. His love life? Let's just say he's still playing the field.

Early in his career, the heartthrob cycled through girlfriends at lightning speed: a fling with Claire Danes in 1996, Kristen Zang from 1996 to 1997, and Demi Moore from 1997 to 2002.

His longest relationship was with Gisele Bündchen – the Brazilian supermodel he dated from 1999 to 2005. Their six-year romance ended due to Gisele's struggles with panic attacks, and DiCaprio went back to bachelor life.

In 2006, he met Bar Refaeli, an Israeli model. They dated for three years and seemed headed for marriage, but called it quits for good in 2011. After that came a brief romance with actress Blake Lively.

Gisele was only 6 years younger than Leo, Bar 11 years his junior. Now he's dating women half his age. His girlfriends come and go, never sticking around long. A pattern's emerged in his dating preferences – leggy blondes who model. In 2014, people thought German model Toni Garrn would be the one, then in 2016 it was actress and runway star Kelly Rohrbach.

Summer 2018, paparazzi caught him vacationing in Italy with Al Pacino's stepdaughter, actress Camila Morrone, known for Death Wish, where she held her own opposite Bruce Willis and earned critical praise. His relationship with Camila lasted until 2022. Insiders reported that Morrone initiated the split: she wasn't having it when Leonardo pushed her to settle down and put her career on the back burner.

After that came a romance with model Gigi Hadid, plus sightings with models Megan Roche, Neelam Gill, Josie Redmond, Maya Jama, and Victoria Lamas. DiCaprio's ladies weren't just changing rapidly – eagle-eyed fans noticed none of them were ever over 25.

But his reputation as a serial dater of young women might be about to change, thanks to his latest girlfriend – model Vittoria Ceretti. They started dating in summer 2023. Vittoria turned 26 in summer 2024, yet their relationship's not just holding steady – it seems to be getting stronger. The couple's regularly spotted together, and Leo's inner circle says "he only thinks about her" and "they really respect each other."

Leonardo DiCaprio is dating Vittoria Ceretti

Leonardo DiCaprio doesn't have kids. Back in 2010, he said he was ready for fatherhood, but apparently he still hasn't found the woman he wants as the mother of his children.

Leonardo DiCaprio Now

The May 2023 premiere of "Killers of the Flower Moon" – a true-crime drama starring DiCaprio – marked another Scorsese collaboration. The film scored 10 Oscar nominations, though DiCaprio wasn't among them. He did earn a Golden Globe nod for playing Ernest Burkhart, but the award went to Cillian Murphy for his work in Nolan's "Oppenheimer".

Killers of the Flower Moon — Official Trailer

In 2024, DiCaprio – who turned 50 in November – was gearing up to shoot Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another". He's also set to lead Martin Scorsese's upcoming Theodore Roosevelt biopic.

The action-packed "One Battle After Another" hit theaters in fall 2025 and instantly became an event. Inspired by Thomas Pynchon's novel "Vineland", it marked DiCaprio's first collaboration with Anderson. The nearly three-hour film earned rave reviews – ninety-five percent positive from critics.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Paul Thomas Anderson walking through a field, hiding in the grass — Leonardo DiCaprio on the set of "One Battle After Another"

DiCaprio plays Pat Calhoun, a former explosives expert from a revolutionary group whose life went completely off the rails.

Back in the day, he was involved with Perfidy, one of the movement's leaders. They had a daughter, Villa, but Perfidy couldn't juggle being both a revolutionary and a mother. She left, then betrayed her comrades. Pat took on raising their daughter (Chase Infinity) solo.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Chase Infinity posing together for a photo — Leonardo DiCaprio and Chase Infinity

Under the alias Bob Ferguson, he fled with his daughter to the Northern California woods, where he spent the next sixteen years living as a paranoid hermit. But when their old enemy resurfaces years later, the former revolutionaries must reunite to save his daughter.

Through his character, director Paul Thomas Anderson explores disillusionment with contemporary America: the problems DiCaprio's character fought against in his youth have only gotten worse, and his generation can no longer fix them. Leonardo himself was predicted to win a second Oscar for this role.

Leonardo DiCaprio: latest news and articles

William Rivera

Well, Leonardo already got his Oscar :) In the movie The Great Gatsby, he played very coolly!

2021-04-19 21:35:33
Natalie Martin

Despite DiCaprio`s pretty appearance, as an actor he is amazing! Although, I never hear something bad about him.

2021-04-18 22:32:13
Wanda Schultz

I remember how excited I was about Shutter Island! For me, it`s his strongest role.

2021-03-15 16:57:57
Joseph Williams

This actor finally got his distinguished Oscar, they needed to give him a long time ago already.

2021-02-24 16:21:19
Linda Adams

DiCaprio is in the hearts of many girls from the release of Titanic :)

2021-02-24 11:48:26

Leonardo DiCaprio

Photos: Leonardo DiCaprio