It's time to pay attention, Robert Pattinson! If the "Twilight" star fears being typecast as a heartthrob or never escaping the grasp (literally) of screaming 'tweens, he should look no further for inspiration than Leonardo DiCaprio. Leo, who reached levels of super stardom with 1997's blockbuster "Titanic," managed to stray from teen dreamboat to one of the most respected actors of his generation. His latest effort is "Shutter Island," a thriller, which marks his fourth venture with Oscar-winning director Martin Scorcese, opens this weekend.
Click on the photo below to see Leo throughout the years and keep reading to discover how he turned from kiddie star to celebrated actor.
Born Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio on November 11, 1974, in Hollywood, California to mother Irmelin and father George (his parents divorced very early in his life) and step-brother to actor Adam Farrar, Leo got a very early start to his own acting career. While Leo starred in his first commercial by the age of six, when he was 15 he was cast in the short-lived series "Parenthood" as Garry. Leo would go on to have other television stints, including a 23-episode arc on the sitcom "Growing Pains" as Luke Brower.
But, it was film that was Leo's true calling and in 1993 he had his breakthrough performances. First, came acting opposite film legend Robert De Niro in the drama "This Boy's Life." and was soon followed by his star-making turn in the Johnny Depp dark dramedy "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," in which Leo played Depp's mentally challenged younger brother, Arnie. The impressive turn gained Leo his first Academy Award nomination, for Best Supporting Actor.
Leo continued to gain the industry's attention with roles in films like 1995's gritty "The Basketball Diaries" and the 1996 family drama "Marvin's Room." 1996 also marked a touchstone year for Leo as he gained legions of female fans (not to mention gracing countless teen magazine covers) as he landed the pivotal role of Romeo in Baz Luhrman's hyper take on William Shakespeare's "Romeo + Juliet." Of course, Romeo would have nothing on the equally doomed Jack Dawson, whom Leo played in the 1997 box office behemoth, "Titanic."
While Leo struggled with the fame that came along with the Oscar winning movie, he also had trouble finding his footing with where to take his career next,starring in mediocre fare such as "The Man in the Iron Mask," "The Beach," and "Celebrity." But, legendary director Martin Scorcese still saw the spark in Leo and cast him in the bloody 2002 historical epic "Gangs of New York," beginning a strong working relationship between the actor and the director. Since "Gangs" the two have worked together on "The Aviator" (which Leo earned his second nomination for his portrayal of Howard Hughes), "The Departed," and now, "Shutter Island."
The 2000's proved to be Leo's strongest decade, gaining critical praise for movies such as "Catch Me If You Can," "Blood Diamond" (Leo's third Oscar nomination for his role as a diamond smuggler), and 2008's harrowing suburban drama "Revolutionary Road," a film in which he re-teamed with "Titanic" costar and longtime friend Kate Winslet. While Leo has a close Hollywood posse (of which includes Tobey Maguire) and has been linked to some of the most beautiful women in the world (he's currently dating model Bar Refaeli) he has still maintained the respect of his peers and continued to be one of most revered actors of his time.
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