LEONARDO DICAPRIO'S LIFE - A LEGEND IN THE MAKING
Birthdate: November 11, 1974
Birthplace: Los Angeles, CA
Real Name: Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio
Star Sign: Sun in Scorpio and Moon in Libra
Education: The Center for Enriched Studies - Los Angeles, CA
Relations: Mother - Irmalin and Father - George
Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio was destined from the beginning to be a wild and spirited boy. He received his first name after swiftly kicking his mother from her womb as she admired a Leonardo DaVinci painting in the Uffizi.
He was born in Los Angeles, CA on the 11th November, 1974 to George and Irmalin DiCaprio. Leonardo was an only child (though he does have a stepbrother, Adam). Irmalin and George divorced each other within a year after Leoanrdo's birth.
Leonardo's mother is German and his father is Italian and their backgrounds had a major influence on his upbringing. His father produced underground comics and his mother was a legal secretary (she now manages Leo's affairs).
Both George and Irmalin might best be described as liberal, pot-smoking hippies: Leonardo says, "Whatever I did would be something they'd already done I mean, my dad would welcome it if I got a nose ring." Leonardo remembers such household guests as comic-book artist Robert Crumb, writer Charles Bukowski and novelist Hubert Selby, Jnr. visiting as a child. "We're not the hippie family who only eats organic food and the children meditate and go to a school of arts, but we're not apple-pie and Republican either."
Leonardo was educated at The Center for Enriched Studies and John Marshall High School, both located in Los Angeles, CA. Leonardo seemed more interested in entertaining his class mates than in doing his homework. "School, I never truly got the knack of. I could never focus on things I didn't want to learn. I used to, like, take half of the school and do break-dancing skits with my friend in front of them at lunchtime."
But his troubles concentrating in school didn't stifle his acting dreams. Leonardo's acting debut was at the age of five on the television show, "Romper Room" Booted from the set because of his uncontrollable behaviour, it would be eleven years until he landed a big-screen role. At the age of ten, on the way home from a casting call where he had just been callously rejected, he cried to his father, "Dad, I really want to become an actor, but if this is what it's all about, I don't want to do it." Leonardo recalls his father put his arm around him and said, "Someday Leonardo, it will happen for you. Remember these words, Just Relax."
When searching for an agent Leoanrdo was further discouraged by the commercialism of the industry, exemplified by an attempt from one agent to alter his "wrong" haircut and change his ethnic-sounding name to Lenny Williams. He was finally signed at the age of fourteen, and struggled to break into the movie industry through obscure commericals and educational films such as, "How to Deal With a Parent Who Takes Drugs" and "Mickey's Safety Club.:" He took part in over thirty television commericals in all, and eventually procured guest appearances on such television shows as Lassie, The Outsiders, Roseanne and Parenthood. Though he was cast in his first movie in 1991, Leo would rather forget his minor and embarrassing contribution to "Crtters III" altogether.
At sixteen. he finally landed a successful, regular role as a homeless boy in the teen sitcom, "Growing Pains" that lasted for two years (24 episodes). Though only a small part, Leonardo's performance proved that he had great potential; he easily outsined the rest of the cast.
His big break was undoubtedly his leading role as Tobias Wolff in "This Boy's Life." Though Leonardo's natural, brilliant performance in this "coming of age" movie didn't hit home at the box office, he gained instant recognition as a talented rising star for his performance and herein began his rise to fame.
Now given the opportunity to be picky about his roles, Leonardo chooses them carefully. He welcomes help from his father in sifting through the facile, mainstream roles most actors gleefully accept. Leonardo has turned down such commericallly popular roles as Robin in "Batman Forever" and continues to look for more challenging "dark roles." "I want to take my time with each role and that's how you plan a long career rather than doing it all at once in a big explosion. I turned down a lot of movies about death and a few cheesy little comedies as well."
Leo's is a favourite of many professional and amateur critics because of his unique ability to play the "boy/man" border with such ease and natural spontaneity. Leonardo's boyish looks allow him to apply his learned experience and charm to younger roles that many of his immature competitors cannot handle. "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 every day."
Quote: People want you to be a crazy, out-of-control teen brat. They want you miserable, just like them. They don't want heroes; what they want is to see you fall - Leonardo DiCaprio...
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