Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio was so named after his mother, Irmeline, admired a Leonardo Da Vinci painting at the Uffizi. Leonardo's parents got divorced within a year of his birth but his father remarried and he gained a step brother named Adam who was also an actor.
His father produces underground comic books out of his garage. His mother was a legal secretary before she began managing Leo's affairs and for quite a change theres his stepmother who is a professional body builder. Leonardos family has often been described as hippies but as it was said "Were not the hippy family who only eats organic and the children meditate and go to the school of the arts. But were not apple pie and republican either."
Leo attended both the center for Enriched Studies and John Marshall High School but school was never his thing. He spent a lot of time acting class clown, entertaining his friends, doing breakdancing skits during lunchtime and cheating in maths class, "School. I never truely got the knack of. I could never focus on things I didn't want to learn." Leonardo's dislike for school didn't discourage his dream to become an actor. After being kicked off the set of Romper Room at the age of five for uncontrollable behaviour, he would wait eleven years to land a big screen role. He still recalls the time he was rejected at the casting call and was feeling discouraged when his father said to him: "Someday, Leonardo, it will happen for you."
He was finally signed at the age of 14 without lack of trying. Leo was still struggling to make his way into the movie industry through such educational films as "Mickeys' Safety Club" and "How to Deal with a Parent who takes Drugs." He starred in over 30 commercials and landed guest apparences on The Outsiders, Roseanne, Parenthood and Lassie. At the age of 16 he got 2 years on the sitcom "Growing Pains" playing a homeless boy which showed Leo's great potential for ating.
Leonardo's claim to fame was undoubtedly his role as Tobias Wolf alongside actor Robert DeNiro in "This Boys Life." Although his great proformance didn't hit home at the box office, he was highly recognised as a rising star.
As Leo was now able to become picky about what roles he choose, he turned down such roles as Robin in "Batman Forever." "I want to take my time with each role and thats how you plan a long career rather than doing it all at once in a big explosion."
Leonardo DiCaprio gained such awaeds as National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor in "Whats Eating Gilbert Grape" and Los Angeles Film Critics New Generation Award for"This Boys Life."
"The best thing about acting is that I get to lose myself in another character and actually get paid for it. It's a great outlet. As for myself. I'm not sure who I am. It seems that I change everyday."