Leonardo DiCaprio

When 1997’s massive blockbuster hit Titanic hit theaters, DiCaprio fever went into full swing. Leonardo DiCaprio was everywhere. His likeness was plastered on millions of teenage girls’ bedroom walls, magazine covers, and the man himself was a hot draw for talk shows, on which he made numerous appearances. In the middle of all of this mayhem was a very capable actor whose talents were being ignored in the crush of infatuation. The same year tipped DiCaprio over the edge into overexposure, and several rushes to judgment were made.

What those who wrote off DiCaprio out of irritation, or who were merely interested in him for his wan good looks missed was his established screen presence as a powerful actor. By the time he filmed Titanic, he had already gone up for Academyâ and Golden Globe awards for his stunning performance in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? The role that put him on the map had been with Robert De Niro in This Boy’s Life.

To top it off, the talented young actor with River Phoenix-facial features had taken on the Bard’s language and dramatic nuance in the made-for-our-times adaptation Romeo and Juliet—with the original script. Add to this his performance in the complex role of a high school heroin addict in The Basketball Diaries and it is quickly evident that Leonardo DiCaprio was a far from average acting talent.

While the press was either waiting for an opportunity to roast him or ignore him, Leonardo DiCaprio quietly went about the business of making movies, working with directors Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg, almost before anyone realized he had done it. Now established as a genuine leading man with strong acting chops, DiCaprio has had his choice of roles, and his choice has been a busy schedule playing a kaleidoscope of characters, including a third Scorsese collaboration as Theodore Roosevelt.

Leonardo DiCaprio was born November 11, 1974, in Hollywood, where he remains, busy.