From a charismatic teenage heartthrob who caused global “Leo-mania” to an Oscar-winning dramatic force, DiCaprio has spent the last three decades making choices defined by artistic risk and a dedication to working with cinema’s greatest auteurs, particularly Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino.
He is not just an actor but a cultural institution, using his immense platform to champion environmental activism alongside his demanding film career.
Titanic (1997)
The film that transformed DiCaprio from an acclaimed young actor into an unprecedented worldwide superstar was James Cameron’s historical epic. As the charming, working-class Jack Dawson, DiCaprio infused the melodramatic romance with soul and vulnerability, creating one of cinema’s most beloved figures. The film’s record-shattering success ensured he would forever be known on a first-name basis globally.
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
DiCaprio was perfectly cast as the real-life con artist Frank Abagnale Jr. in Steven Spielberg’s breezy, stylish biographical crime drama. He was effortlessly charming and slick as the cunning young man who successfully impersonated a pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer. This role marked a crucial pivot in his career, successfully shedding his romantic lead image for more dynamic character work.
The Aviator (2004)
In his second major collaboration with director Martin Scorsese, DiCaprio delivered a complex portrait of eccentric billionaire aviation pioneer Howard Hughes, charting his life from genius playboy to reclusive figure tormented by obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The role required immense psychological depth, earning DiCaprio a highly deserved Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.
The Departed (2006)
DiCaprio delivered one of his most nerve-wracking and emotionally devastating performances as Billy Costigan, a tormented undercover cop infiltrating the Boston Irish Mob in Martin Scorsese’s gritty crime thriller. Caught between two identities and drowning in paranoia, DiCaprio anchored the film’s chaotic violence with a palpable sense of internal implosion, holding his own against powerhouse co-stars like Jack Nicholson and Matt Damon.
Inception (2010)
In Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending science fiction heist thriller, DiCaprio played Dom Cobb, a professional thief who extracts valuable secrets from people’s subconscious during the dream state. The highly cerebral role required him to balance high-concept action with genuine emotional gravity, grounding the film’s complex narrative in his character’s desperate quest for reunion with his family.
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
DiCaprio unleashed a tour-de-force of manic, satirical comedy and terrifying excess as the stockbroker Jordan Belfort in Martin Scorsese’s dark, boundary-pushing epic of greed. His high-octane performance—complete with frenzied monologues and exaggerated physical comedy—captured the unhinged decadence of the 1990s financial elite, earning him massive critical acclaim.
The Revenant (2015)
This grueling survival epic, directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, earned DiCaprio his long-awaited Academy Award for Best Actor after four previous acting nominations. As the 19th-century frontiersman Hugh Glass, who is mauled by a bear and left for dead by his companions, DiCaprio committed to a physically agonizing performance shot in brutal, freezing wilderness conditions using only natural light. His largely silent portrayal of sheer determination and primal will to survive transformed the film into a visceral masterpiece of endurance and vengeance.
The Great Gatsby (2013)
DiCaprio delivered a charismatic yet profoundly tragic performance as the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby in Baz Luhrmann’s visually extravagant 3D adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel. While the film was divisive among critics, DiCaprio flawlessly captured Gatsby’s manic hope, elegant facade, and deep-seated insecurity as a self-made man striving to reclaim his past love. His performance highlighted the character’s desperate nature beneath the dazzling spectacle of the Jazz Age.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
In his first collaboration with Quentin Tarantino, DiCaprio starred as Rick Dalton, a paranoid, aging television cowboy whose career is fading in 1969 Hollywood. His portrayal, a blend of Hollywood swagger and genuine artistic insecurity, culminated in an explosive, cathartic climax. The performance, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, was praised for its masterful display of anxiety and eventual, unexpected heroism.
One Battle After Another (2025)
DiCaprio generated significant awards buzz for his lead role in Paul Thomas Anderson’s critically acclaimed political action thriller. He stars as Bob Ferguson (a.k.a. “Ghetto” Pat Calhoun), a washed-up, paranoid former revolutionary who must come out of hiding to save his daughter from a powerful nemesis. The film, released in September 2025, sees DiCaprio tackle a character driven by raw desperation, contrasting his emotional intensity with dark comedic beats.