Turned down Michael Pitt's role in The Dreamers (2003) because he felt he was too old to play a twenty-year-old student.

His father Geoge is of half German, half Italian descent and his mother is German.

Won the role of Rimbaud in Total Eclipse (1995) after the death of actor River Phoenix in 1993.

Has a stepbrother, Adam Farrar.

In 2006 in "The Independent", he named his ten favorite movies as: Ladri di biciclette (1948), Taxi Driver (1976), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), 8½ (1963), The Third Man (1949), Yojimbo (1961), Sunset Blvd. (1950), The Shining (1980) and East of Eden (1955).

Was trained by renowned Hollywood Gun Coach Thell Reed, who has also trained such actors as: Brad Pitt, Val Kilmer, Edward Norton, Russell Crowe, Ben Foster and Girard Swan.

Attended Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies before attending Marshall High

Father was a comicbook dealer.

Was considered for the role of Anakin Skywalker for Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002). But much to the relief of hardcore Star Wars fans, the role went to Hayden Christensen instead.

Was once attached to star in American Psycho (2000) and was reputedly offered over $20 million for the role.

He purchased a 104-acre island off the coast of Belize in 2005 and plans to develop a resort with renewable energy sources. Purchase price for the island, Blackadore Caye, was estimated to be $1.75 million.

He and Jason Robards received Oscar-nominations for portraying Howard Hughes. Robards played Hughes in Melvin and Howard (1980) and Leonardo played him in The Aviator (2004)

A Manhattan appeals court decided to go ahead with a $45 million lawsuit against DiCaprio by actor and screenwriter Roger Wilson for allegedly encouraging his friends in a street fight with Wilson over advances DiCaprio's friends made toward Wilson's girlfriend, Elizabeth Berkley. [2000]

Mentioned in an interview with Katie Couric that while filming The Aviator (2004), it brought back his own obsessive-compulsive disorder that he had as a child. (December 23, 2004).

He once said that playing Arnie in What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) was "the most fun I've ever had".

Has once said his favorite female performance is Gena Rowlands' Mabel Longhetti in A Woman Under the Influence (1974).

At one point he was said to be interested in playing Alexander the Great in a biopic directed by Baz Luhrmann. This was abandoned after Oliver Stone made Alexander (2004) starring Colin Farrell.

He can speak a little German.

While filming The Beach (2000/I) off the coast of Thailand, Leonardo and others were swept off a camera boat by strong winds and waves. No one was injured. [16 April 1999]

Ranked #42 in Premiere's 2003 annual Power 100 List. Had ranked #74 in 2002 and #60 in 2001.

Considered for the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in _Spider-Man (2002)_.

Was cast in the lead role in Baz Luhrmann's doomed Alexander The Great-project.

Named #36 on Empire Magazine's 100 Sexiest Movie Stars. (2007).

Screen tested for the part of Robin in Batman Forever (1995).

Boyfriend of Gisele Bündchen [2002-2005]

Attended the same high school as Bo Barrett, Heidi Fleiss, Anne-Marie Johnson, and Julie Newmar.

Openly supported John Kerry in the 2004 election. He went around 11 states and gave 20 speeches about the environment and how the Bush Administration has damaged it.

Ranked #6 in Star TV's "Top 10 Box Office Stars of the 1990s" (2003).

Appeared in the television series "Parenthood" (1990), in the role originally played by Joaquin Phoenix. In the original film, Phoenix's grandfather is played by Jason Robards, who, like DiCaprio, has played Howard Hughes.

Has said his two favorite performances are Robert De Niro's Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver (1976) and James Dean's Cal Trask in East of Eden (1955).

Good friends with Mark Wahlberg.

Filed police charges after being attacked with a bottle by an animal-rights activist while leaving a nightclub in June 2005. Although the wound was very close to his jugular vein, it was not expected to delay production on his latest movie.

When his camera went missing, he offered a substantial reward of many thousands of pounds for its return. [November 2003]

Attended Seeds Elementary School at UCLA where he took summer courses in performance art

Was initially set to star as Alan Jensen in Harvard Man (2001), but the film's low budget could not afford to pay his salary, so he dropped out and Adrian Grenier took the lead.

Was originally cast in The Good Shepherd (2006).

Chosen by People Magazine as one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World." [1998]

He and his family funded a state-of-the-art computer center at the Los Feliz branch of the Los Angeles Public Library, which was rebuilt after the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

Leonardo likes to play basketball, hockey, football, rollerblade, and go surfing.

Leonardo is a very private person, feeling that if his audience knows too much about his personal life, they will not believe him in his character roles. To achieve a long career as an actor, he feels he must guard his privacy.

Leonardo was required to master a Zimbabwean accent for his role in Blood Diamond, but initially sounded more like an Australian than a Zimbabwean. A dialect coach helped him reach his goal.

Leonardo was nominated for 2 Screen Actors Guild Awards(2006-2007), for his leading role in Blood Diamond and his supporting role in The Departed.

Leonardo is offering financial sponsorship to a young orphan girl he met on the set of Blood Diamond, as well as her orphanage.

Leonardo received a 2007 Oscar Nomination for Best Actor for his role in Blood Diamond.

Leonardo supports environmental causes.

Leonardo has `adopted` a South African baby girl. He met the girl in an orphanage in South Africa while he was filming Blood Diamond. Leonardo won’t be taking the child home with him, instead, he will continue checking on her progress by chatting to her over the phone and will send her a monthly cheque.

In March 2007, Israeli police arrested two members of Leonardo’s security team after they fought with photographers during a visit to Jerusalem by Leonardo and his girlfriend, Bar Refaeli. While Leonardo and Bar were taking a private tour of the Western Wall tunnels, photographers waited for them to emerge. A fight broke out between the photographers and Leonardo’s minders.

He created a spoken word piece entitled Global Warning. It`s about Global Warming and Climate Change.

In 2005, he purchased a 104-acre island off the coast of Belize.

He received the Environmental Leadership Award from Global Green USA.

In 2002, his Foundation received the Martin Litton Environmental Warrior Award from Environment Now.

A the age of 14, he appeared in a series of commercials and educational films.

His performance in What`s Eating Gilbert Grape, earned him an Academy Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 1994 at the age of 19.

Before he signed on to star in James Cameron`s Titanic, he admitted that he was hesitant at first since this wasn`t the kind of film he had told himself he wanted to make.

In 1998, he donated a room full of computers and equipment to the new Los Feliz Library, built on the site of his childhood home.

He admires Martin Scorsese.

In August 2002, he joined Global Green USA.

In 2003, at The Russian International Film Festival, he was awarded the Tower Award for Contributions to International Cinema.

In 2005, he created his second spoken word piece entitled Water Planet.

In 2006, he produced, co-wrote and partly narrated on screen his environmental documentary, The 11th Hour.

In March 2007, Shimon Peres, the Israeli Vice Premier, invited Leo and Bar Refaeli and asked for his help in promoting the peace process in the Middle East and to continue his environmental protection campaign.

In March 2007, Leo was dating the 21-year-old Israeli model, Bar Refaeli.

Leonardo was chosen as one of People Magazine`s annual "100 Most Beautiful People in the World", in May 2007.

Leo`s parents are Irmelin and George DiCaprio

Leo`s childhood pet was a rottweiler named Rocky. He also has a bearded lizard named Blizzard.

Leonardo was chosen as one of People Magazine`s Sexiest Men Alive 2007.

Leonardo was ranked #31 in the VH1 countdown of 100 Greatest Teen Stars in 2006.

Leonardo has produced and appeared in a campaign to encourage young voters to vote for the 2008 elections.

Good friends with Lukas Haas and Kevin Connolly.

Early in his career he appeared as a contestant on a game show called "Fun House" where stunts were performed - his involved trying to catch fish in a small pool with only his teeth.

Very close friends with Vincent Gallo.

Martin Scorsese is his favorite director.

His German grandmother died at the age of 93 in August 2008.

Refers to his German grandmother as "Oma".

In his childhood, he and his mother lived in poor neighborhoods in Los Angeles which he describes as "Ghettos of Hollywood".

His favorite food is pasta. His favorite drink is lemonade.

Good friends with Mark Wahlberg, Lukas Haas, and Kevin Connolly.

Very good friends with actress Kate Winslet.

He and Gisele Bündchen were chosen by People Magazine as the "Most Beatiful Couple in the World", in 2004.

Robert De Niro and Jack Nicholson are his favorite actors.

Of 3/4 German and 1/4 Italian descent. His paternal grandfather was an Italian immigrant

He is an environmental conservationist and often advocates and supports natural causes.

Was offered the role of the porn star Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights (1997) at around the same time as he was offered his role in Titanic (1997). The Dirk Diggler role eventually went to Mark Wahlberg.

Childhood friends with Tobey Maguire and the late Christopher Pettiet.

In January 1999, his lawyers filed an application to allow DiCaprio to copyright his own name.

Was set to star in American Psycho (2000) but had to drop it due to scheduling conflicts. Christian Bale took the part instead.

At age 10, his agent advised him to change his name to a more American- friendly Lenny Williams. Needless to say, he did not follow that advice.

Attended John Marshall High School in Los Angeles, California.

When five years old, he was in an educational TV program, called "Romper Room" (1953) and was nearly kicked off for uncontrollable behavior.

Was considering starring in a movie about actor James Dean but turned down the role because he felt he wasn`t experienced enough to do the film. [1996]

Chosen by People Magazine as one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World." [1997]

Ranked #75 in Empire (UK) magazine`s "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997]

Sues Playgirl magazine over plans to publish pictures --including full frontal nudity -- of himself. [March 1998]

His first publicity spot was about MILK.