Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, DiCaprio started his career by appearing in television commercials prior to landing recurring roles in TV series such as the soap opera Santa Barbara and the sitcom Growing Pains in the early 1990s. He made his film debut in the comedic sci-fi horror film Critters 3 (1991) and received first notable critical praise for his performance in This Boy's Life (1993).[2] DiCaprio achieved recognition for his subsequent work in supporting roles in What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), The Basketball Diaries (1995), and Marvin's Room (1996) before landing a leading role in Romeo + Juliet (1996), and came to international fame with his role in James Cameron's Titanic (1997).
Since the 2000s, DiCaprio has been nominated for awards for his work in such films as Catch Me If You Can (2002), Gangs of New York (2002), The Aviator (2004), Blood Diamond (2006), The Departed (2006), and Revolutionary Road (2008). His latest films Shutter Island (2010) and Inception (2010) rank among the biggest commercial successes of his career. DiCaprio owns a production company named Appian Way Productions, whose productions include the films Gardener of Eden (2007) and Orphan (2009).
A committed environmentalist, DiCaprio has received praise from environmental groups for his activism. His romantic relationships have been widely covered in the media.[5] Following a high-profile relationship with Brazilian model Gisele Bündchen, he was in a relationship with Israeli model Bar Refaeli.
